


Waiting for the Night to Fall

by Timaelan



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-25
Updated: 2019-03-03
Packaged: 2019-08-29 10:20:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 66,964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16742176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Timaelan/pseuds/Timaelan
Summary: Willing to help his mother after his father's death, Gohan took upon himself to sell his skills. Now with a life wrapped in lies and guilt, he must face a normal world at a normal school where he expects to meet normal people. Could this save him from darkness?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is currently published on ffnet. Someone asked me to publish it on A3O. I never thought about it before, but if some readers like it better that way, then so be it. Updates might be quick since uploading on A3O isn't much work. I hope some of you will enjoy it.
> 
> PS: The whole work has been beta read by Kalebxdd.

Sitting on the deserted roof of the building with his back against the wall of the mechanical room, Gohan was staring at the end summer sky. The sun wouldn't bring himself to set and his light kept reflecting on the scarce clouds and wrapping them into changing colors. This sky reminded Gohan of others skies and he found himself remembering a game he had played with his father ages ago. Both of them would look at the clouds for hours while making out the shapes of animals in their wooly forms. Gohan was a child then.

However, right there and right now, no matter how carefully he would study the clouds, none of them was willing to look like something familiar. The clouds above him were just stupid, useless clouds and they wouldn't even be able to drop the slightest drizzle to soothe the scorching heat. Gohan was no longer a child anyway. He had just turned seventeen and his father was long gone.

He sighed and gave his watch a weary glance. He still had more than half an hour to wait. He opened his backpack and scanned its content. There was a big book of literature inside. Gohan was supposed to read it whole before starting school the following week but he hated literature. All these subtle, complicated words put together in order to describe simple, uninteresting things - he didn't see the point. He took the book out of the bag nevertheless, trying to ignore how dejecting its weight felt in his palms.

His mother had always worried a lot about his future and for the time being, she was especially concerned about him going to high school. He had to admit that the prospect made him nervous as well. He had never attended a classical school and he wasn't sure he would be up to the teachers' demands. He had gone through tests and he had been told that he had passed them. He had even been brilliant in science, they sai, but he was so clueless about school that he had needed someone to explain him the grading system to understand the result of his work.

The grades in literature had actually been weaker and it was the reason why Chichi had decided he would have to read this huge book about classical authors. There was no way Gohan could be weak in any field. He had to excel at everything. Since the age of four, he had been asked to excel at everything. He was used to it and he had always meekly met the demands of adults.

He opened the book on a random page and stumbled across the portrait of a writer supposed to be a major reference. Gohan gazed at the picture while trying to meet the painting's sad eyes. The man had obviously not been the funny type. By reading his dates of birth and death, Gohan could count that his life had hardly last twenty-nine years. The teenager rolled his eyes and closed the book with a dry snap. It sounded much too depressing to him and he was too nervous for that right now. He peered at his watch again. Twenty minutes left.

He packed the book away and his thoughts drifted to highschool once again. The level of the classes wasn't his only concern. It was also about the others - The other students, the teachers, people in general. He knew he would be more or less able to make it with the adults. His mother had been so adamant about respect and politeness that he was quite good at coping with the cryptic world of adults. Yet, his classmates would be something different. Gohan had never dealt with people his age. Life had never given him this opportunity. Sure, there was Goten, but Goten was his brother and he was still a little boy. It didn't really count as an experience.

Gohan was wary at the thought of finding himself in the midst of standard teenagers with normal lives and normal parents. Unlike Gohan, the other students would have spent their entire lives among their fellow-men. Gohan had no doubt he would feel awkward in their company and he was aware that he was likely to be seen as a weirdo or as a moron – if not both. Thus, he was both curious about this careless world, and worried to find out whether he could really belong to it.

He fumbled in his backpack for a small bag. He pulled a pack of cigarettes and a photo out of it. He lit a cigarette and for a while, he contemplated the rings of smoke he managed to form with his first drag. Hours of waiting like those had allowed him to become skillful at this little game. He peeked at his watch. Ten minutes left.

The light of the day had ended up fading and a slight breeze was gently ruffling his dark locks. His mother would cut them off in a few days. His shaggy hair didn't look serious enough to attend highschool.

He grabbed the photo that had been packed with the cigarettes and studied it for an instant. The twilight was bothering so he lit up his wick lighter and placed the flame closer to the picture. It was the picture of a wrinkled man with a long face and drooping features. The guy's hair was a mix of salt and pepper. It was pulled into a ponytail with thick sideburns on both side of his jaw. He was wearing a very confident smile although he had likely been unaware of being photographed as the cliché had obviously been captured with a telephoto lens.

Gohan watched him for a long time at the dim light of the flickering flame. He wondered who this guy could be. It was the sort of question his mind was asking less and less and he would seek answers even lesser. Gohan was aware that it didn't really matter any longer at this point. His conscience wasn't exactly dead though, and he still kept giving a thought to the identity of the people on the photos if only a few seconds. Yet, his questioning was more like a silent prayer by now, a sort of superstition. Basically, Gohan knew he didn't really care.

In the beginning, knowing the people's names and lives seemed important but in the beginning, he had only been fourteen. At that time, he still believed that his father was watching over them and that seasoned jobs in the farms would be enough to feed Chichi and Goten in wait for better days. Back then, Gohan had no doubt everything would be all right soon because everything always ended being all right.

The first time the man had offered him the deal about the people on the photos, Gohan had refused. He had even been deeply shocked. Despite his annoyance, he had decided not to tell his mother about the man and his offer. He wasn't sure how she would react by hearing that someone had recognized the kid who had overcome the horrible Cell but he was sure she would be infuriated about the way people were trying to use her son's gift.

Yet, the man came back. He said he was called Mr. M. and as a naïve child as he was, Gohan had believed at first it was his real name. Yet, no matter his real name, Mr. M. seemed to be able to know where Gohan could be found any time. It was puzzling. Each time they met, Mr. M. told him a little bit more. Mr. M. only wanted the good of the world - Just like Gohan, after all. And what Mr. M. would ask of him was something Gohan had already done. And Gohan knew that too many qualms could cost lives - lives of beloved ones - right? Still, Gohan refused the offer each time. He was young, but he felt there was something wrong in the deal.

Then, there had been a terrible winter. It had been terrible for crops and even more terrible for Gohan's family. These dire times had the boy realize that his mother couldn't cope with the situation and that his father wouldn't help them anymore. Chichi could have asked for other help though. There was Grandfather Gyumao, there was Bulma, there were all of his father's friends but Chichi was proud. Gohan couldn't blame her. Her pride and her children were all she had left. She had asked for help at first but it had cost her too much to do it again. Too many times had Gohan heard her sob in the kitchen at night, when she thought he was asleep. He couldn't bear with it anymore.

The next time he saw Mr. M., he accepted his offer provided that whatever Gohan would be asked, it would only serve the world's sake. Mr. M. had promised without a second thought that the boy's services would - of course - only be required for the good of all, while congratulating him on his clever choice. _Of course._

The fire devoured the picture and Gohan let it fall to the ground, flaring like a torch faintly stirred in the night breeze. The night had fallen by now. The young man stubbed out his cigarette and rummaged his backpack to take the binoculars out. Then, he packed off the rest of his stuff and stood up. He walked closer to the edge of the deck. He was dressed in black as to melt into the shadows and, as a last caution, he pulled his dark chech* over his mouth, before crouching behind the ledge of the roof. Then, he placed his binoculars at eyes level and start his watch.

The building was high and looking out down the facade of a hotel across the street. Gohan didn't like it. He was in a crowded tourist area which meant people all around – Some passers-by, the hotel's valet, two grooms watching the entrance, customers getting in and out. The young man observed their ballet for a while and checked his watch.

It was past five minutes already. He resumed his watch through the binoculars all by taking a gum out of his pocket with his free hand. Chichi wouldn't like to smell tobacco in his breath. When it was about the smell on his clothes, he always made up a story about the customers of the restaurant where he was supposed to work in, but he had to be careful about his breath.

A car that could match his information ended up stopping at the valet's level. A driver climbed down and leaned himself against the door, with the obvious intention of waiting patiently for his passengers. He had a brief talk with the valet. It was time. Gohan started his mental count.

One - The driver. Two - The valet. Three - A groom loaded with suitcases near the entrance. Four - An old lady with an overexcited poodle. Five - A bleached blonde woman with a thick fur, completely insane by the current heat. Six - An old wrinkled guy with sideburns walking at her arm. The ray of pure energy pierced his forehead at such a dizzying speed that the people around had a hard time understanding what had just happened. Even the sexy bleached woman didn't immediately grasp the reason why her immaculate fur had so suddenly been stained with red.

The guy with the sideburns slumped to the ground with a dull sound, and only at that moment, a mix of the shrill screams of the girl with the fur and the hysterical barks of the poodle echoed up to the roof where Gohan was crouched, his motionless finger still pointing in their direction. He crawled back cautiously, and stood up when he was out of sight from the street. Ignoring the clamors resounding in the air, he lost no time reaching the opposite end of the roof and flew away soundlessly, heading right to Barney's district.

He landed in a dark alleyway. Standing in the shadows, he got rid of the chech* still covering his mouth and put on a denim jacket over his T-shirt. Then, he walked to the street, spitting out his gum and lighting a new cigarette as he headed for the entrance of Barney's Inn.

"Gohan, my friend! Are you on a ride tonight?" Barney welcomed him from the counter.

Gohan scanned the place. It was Friday night and Barney's inn was filled with young people eating ice cream and drinking beer - Barney had never been a great stickler for the rules. Gohan smiled at him and stepped to the bar.

Barney was a tiny, half-bald man. Gohan had worked a while for him, but the young man had to give up any hope of career as a waiter due to his clumsiness. However, Barney and he remained friends and the bartender agreed to be Gohan's alibi for Chichi every night Gohan would feel like "being on a ride". Barney was the type to believe that young people should be allowed to have a blast once in a while and Gohan was so serious – too serious – in Barney's mind, why would it harm to have him unwind from time to time?

Gohan sat on a stool. "Hi Barney, I felt like a beer."

"You know you're not exactly of age for that, boy. As you're not of age for that either," the barman objected while pointing at the cigarette.

"I think I heard about it," Gohan replied in sarcasm as he knew Barney loved a little preach before allowing everything that was supposed to be forbidden.

Gohan pulled his phone out of his pocket and rested it on the counter, making sure it was on. He checked the messages while Barney served his beer.

"Another girlfriend?" the bartender muttered by giving Gohan a side-glance.

"Sort of" Gohan nodded with a half-smile, his eyes still glued to his screen.

"It's forbidden to smoke in here, it is a public area," a young girl's voice snapped.

Gohan raised his head in disbelief and found himself facing a girl with piercing aquamarine eyes. Although she was short, her fists on her hips and her disapproving face conveyed her deep irritation at him.

He had a slight puzzled frown. "Ain't that forbidden too?" Gohan retorted pointing at the glass of beer Barney had just rested on the counter for her.

She had a faint flinch but it lasted the blink of an eye. "How do you know I'm not old enough for that?" she spat in annoyance.

Gohan squinted in disbelief. "Everything in you screams that you're not in age," he hissed.

"She's right, Gohan," Barney cut off with unease. "Put out your cigarette. It obviously bothers her."

Gohan raised an eyebrow and turned to him in astonishment. He had a second thought but he ended up dropping his cigarette and stubbing it out on the floor already strewn with other cigarette butts.

"At least I don't bother anyone," the girl added with a shrug while grabbing her glass.

"For the moment," Gohan grumbled grudgingly.

The girl ignored him. She stepped away and joined a table where other young people were already seated. He watched her all the way long, a dull annoyance running through his nerves. A blonde girl sitting at her table gave him a glimpse and waved discreetly at him.

Gohan didn't pay her any mind. "Who does this girl think she is?" he groaned before sipping his beer.

"It's Videl Satan. She's the daughter of the great Satan, didn't you know?" Barney said in a low voice.

Gohan had a faint start and couldn't help his eyes to turn back to her. She was now talking cheerfully with her friends. So, Hercules Satan had a daughter. Gohan couldn't prevent his mind from pointing out that he had himself no longer a father. No glory, no father. Yet, he recognized Satan's eyes. Hercules had the eyes of a coward while she had the eyes of a know-it-all, but they were all the same.

"Would you like to join us?" a slick voice asked just beside him. He was snatched out of his thoughts and realized that the blonde girl had walked to him. He gave her a stunned stare.

"My name is Erasa. Are you alone? Why not come and sit with us? Videl isn't as bitchy as she looks," she resumed with a warm chuckle.

Gohan remained speechless. He didn't expect the offer.

"So?" Erasa insisted.

Gohan's phone vibrated at that very moment. He seized it at once and read the message. The job was done, the pay was there. He just had to go and get it. Mr. M just told him where.

"Another time, maybe," he answered before gulping down the rest of his glass. He pulled out a note for Barney and stood up.

"Too bad," the girl said mischievously, as Gohan had already pushed open the door of the bar by waving goodbye at Barney.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * chech: scarf used in Arabian countries to struggle wind and sand.


	2. Chapter 2

Gohan took a deep breath before knocking at the classroom's door. The class had already been on for at least ten minutes. He couldn't believe he was late on his first day. He'd stupidly gone lost in the school's endless corridors. The place was downright huge and he had asked his way more than once until a janitor took upon himself to bring him to the right room. The guy had hardly hidden his annoyance and his look had spoken volumes about what he thought of new students arriving straight from some far away countryside.

Gohan gave his outfit a last glance and wondered once again whether he had been right to trust his mother's choice about his clothes. She'd opted for an immaculate white shirt with a sleeveless jacket and matching trousers. As soon as he entered the classroom, Gohan knew he had been wrong. A single look at the other students was enough to make clear that nobody would dress so strictly to go to school. About fifty eyes turned to him in one move. Even the ones dozing in the back of the classroom had poked their heads as to study him with a mocking curiosity.

A bearded teacher with a bow tie and a hound's tooth suit that could easily compete with Gohan's offbeat outfit interrupted himself and considered the latecomer. After a short moment of silent bewilderment, dull mumblings and muffled chuckles spread among the students. The teacher raised his hand in a sharp gesture and the noise faded.

"Good morning, boy. You got lost, didn't you? Come in, what's your name?" he asked in a gentle tone.

"Gohan Son," Gohan sighed in embarrassment.

The teacher gave him a knowing half-smile before browsing the student's list and marking his name with a cross. "Good. Take a seat, Gohan. Look, there's only one left, down there next to Mr. Sharpener."

Gohan located the empty seat next to a muscular, blonde guy. He made his way to the place he'd been assigned, whispers echoing in his wake as he walked across the room.

Reaching his seat, he found a bulky backpack resting on his chair. He had a second thought and gave a questioning look at his blonde neighbor. The owner of the bag gazed back at him with a smirk and yet, he did no move to clear the chair. Gohan ended up taking the bag away all by spying his classmate's reaction. Sharpener only watched him with amusement though.

Sitting down at last, Gohan lowered his head as to escape the guy's annoying stare. He hadn't expected a nice and warm welcome and it seemed he was proved right. The teacher had resumed his class and he no longer paid them any mind.

"So, you are the Gohan Son? The famous genius beating all the highest scores in the science tests?" Sharpener asked in a low voice.

Gohan fidgeted on his seat as he was uncertain if the words were meant as praise or as reproach. "Yes, I'm Gohan. And – You - are Sharpner, right?"

"Impressive memory," Sharpner hissed in sarcasm, "But just call me Sharp like everybody else. What highschool do you come from?"

"I - uh - Actually, I've always been home taught so far. It's my first time attending a normal school."

"Really? Let me guess. Seeing your clothes, I'd say you come from some far away backwater full of hillbillies," Sharpener replied with a chuckle.

The talk was weighing upon Gohan already. He lowered his eyes and did no reply with the hope that Sharpener would get the message and just shut up.

It wasn't enough to silence him though. "Keep cool," he resumed with his irksome smile still on his lips, "All I meant was that your clothes are not the best type to pick up girls."

"Pick up girls?" Gohan repeated in bewilderment.

Sharp sighed and rolled his eyes. "Yeah - I should have known better. Such concern wouldn't pop up in the mind of a nerd dressed like you. You're lucky to meet me though because I know the best places in town to get stylish clothes."

Gohan frowned as he was aware that what was happening was exactly what he had feared. He was seen as a complete moron. He just gritted his teeth and ignored him by starting scribbling the teacher's words on his notebook. Making friends hadn't really been part of his plan after all.

Sharp wouldn't even pretend to listen to the class. He watched Gohan with some dejection instead while the new student did his best to focus on the teacher's speech.

"The year is going to be veerryy long," Sharpner ended up sighing as he eventually made up his mind to fish out a notebook of his bag.

Gohan wasn't used to be taught the classical way. He had no trouble sitting and thinking for hours but the interaction with a real teacher was unfamiliar to him. The other students' feedbacks interrupting an explanation or an exercise felt disturbing as well. Yet, he tried hard to fit in.

The shrill bell ringing the break in the middle of the lesson caught him off guard. Actually, he didn't understood what the bell was about until he saw his classmates packing their stuff and getting up. They didn't even waited for the teacher to be totally done with his instructions about the work to do and some of them were out in the blink of an eye. The meaning of the bell had been so natural to them that it made Gohan even more aware of the gap between him and them. He was still seating with his pen in his hand while half of the students had already flowed out of the classroom.

"Here we meet again!" a cheerful voice exclaimed.

As he looked up, Gohan found the blonde girl who had invited him at Barney's the week before.

"Huh… Hi," he greeted awkwardly, unable to remember her name.

"Gohan, right?" she replied with a smile.

"A true genius. We've been missing that," Sharp grunted. He was ready to go, sitting on his desk with all his stuff already packed away.

"Sharp! Just try not to be an ass for once," the girl sighed with a frown. She leaned to Gohan, a knowing expression on her face. "Don't worry about him. He's a brute but he isn't as bad as he'd like us to believe."

"Shall we eat?" Another girl's voice offered behind her back. When Erasa moved aside, Gohan found himself facing Satan's daughter.

"Erasa decided to adopt the new guy," Sharp informed Videl.

Videl gauged Gohan with a pout, ignoring the fact that Gohan hadn't even time to utter any opinion yet. Her features eased off. "Okay with me," she claimed, "I'm Videl and you?"

"Gohan," he mumbled in unease.

"Great, shall we go now? I'm starving," Sharp cut off while hopping from his desk.

Gohan hadn't much choice but to follow them meekly. He had no chance to find the canteen anyway and as they walked along the corridor he took care of memorizing their way through the school. They ended up stepping into a crowded cafeteria resounding with a dull hubbub. As they crossed the hall, Gohan watched the students chatting and heckling behind the backs of some uncaring supervisors.

Willing to go as unnoticed as possible, Gohan did his best to act the very same way as his mates serving themselves and seating down at a random table. He had decided he should speak as little as possible for now and Erasa's endless babbling actually helped a lot. Her ability to talk was impressive and Gohan wondered when she ever found time to breath. Once in a while, Videl would make a comment or Sharp would blurt out some sarcasm but it was scarce.

"So Gohan, where do you live?" she asked suddenly as they were eating.

There was a blank as he needed some time to realize that his turn to speak had truly come. "I live in the countryside -"

"Just like his folk clothes hint it," Sharp cut off with a smirk.

Videl rolled her eyes and sighed. Both girls turned to Gohan to let him know he could resume his answer.

"Huh - It's an isolated area in the East, plot 38. You might not know where-"

"Plot 38?" Videl interrupted him, "It's more than 600 miles away. You can't mean that you're doing all the way up here on a daily basis."

Gohan's blood froze and his mouth uttered an answer before his brain could elaborate it. "Uh - No, no, I - I have a place in town, of course. I live at an old aunt," he stammered.

"An old aunt? How romantic!" Erasa exclaimed dreamily.

"Romantic?" Videl repeated in disbelief.

"Anyway, it means that you have your parents out of your hair and that's cool," Sharp pointed out with a wink.

Gohan stared at them one after the other. He regretted his reply already. The story he'd just made up was a really bad move. He knew it would only trigger other questions calling for lamer answers each time. His classmates' comments were also quite disconcerting to say the least.

A shrill beep interrupted the talk and saved him for now, though. Videl took her phone out of her pocket and picked up the call with concern. Even Erasa kept silent while Videl nodded and dropped monosyllabic answers at the person on the line. It didn't last long before she hung up. She stood up in one go. "I have to go. They have a hostage-taking in the bank," she announced.

As a reply, Erasa and Sharpner gave her a mere absent nod and she left. Gohan kept his astonished eyes on her as she rushed out of the cafeteria. "Where the hell is she going?" He asked.

"Huh, she's going to help the police. They call her sometimes. You know that Videl is the great Satan's daughter, don't you?" Erasa explained.

"I heard of it but - well, she's still only a student," Gohan pointed out in disbelief.

"You have to know that Videl is very strong. You'd be surprised to see her fight. When in a good mood she can even beat me," Sharp replied.

Erasa shrugged. "Actually, she beats him any time but he'd rather die than to admit it. Some says she could even beat her father once or twice," she clarified.

Gohan narrowed his eyes. He remembered Satan. Truth was he had rarely seen such a lame fighter, no matter what people thought of him. And Videl was maybe strong but she was tiny and she was hardly seventeen. He feigned to focus back on the content of his plate all by keeping his train of thought.

He was stunned that such a young, frail girl could be called to deal with something as serious as a hostage-taking. Gohan's mind was seething at the obvious conclusion. What Videl was about to do was insanely dangerous and she could as well die today. They were all crazy to believe so blindly in Satan's lie. They wouldn’t even hesitate to endanger his daughter, thinking she could cope with fearless armed guys. It wasn't right.

Truth was nothing had been right since the Cell game. Gohan could personally vouch for that. His guts stung even more as he realized that Videl was somehow just like him. She'd never claimed carrying a world's hopes on her back and yet, she had to endure Satan's lies and cowardice since he liked it better endangering her rather than acknowledging he was a scammer.

At this thought, Gohan made his decision in the blink of an eye and he stood up at once. "I have to go. See you later," he said.

Paying little mind to Sharp and Erasa's bewilderment, he lost no time waiting for their reply and left the canteen behind. He made his way up to the school's roof and rocketed up to the sky after ensuring that nobody was around.

It didn't take long until he located police roadblocks around an imposing building that had to be the bank. He reached the ground in a small deserted alleyway and rushed to the street where the bank was. He had to cut through the crowd swarming the vicinity of the building but he was soon forced to stop as a policeman stood on his way. "Hey, boy. Where do you think you're going there?" the cop asked with a bossy tone.

"I - huh - I was wondering what was going on and I wanted to see it on my own," Gohan mumbled.

"This isn't a show, kid. It's dangerous. Shouldn't you be at school instead? Go away from here," the policeman berated him while pushing him back into the crowd.

Gohan deemed it wiser to back away. Nobody had any reason to allow him close to the hostage-taking and the cop had made it clear that he looked too much like a highschool student. Furthermore, Gohan noticed that eager journalists were lurking with cameras and that was no good. Should he do anything, he would take the risk to be filmed and recognized.

He walked back to the deserted alleyway and got rid of the sleeveless jacket. He also took his chech out of his bag and wrapped it over his mouth the way he was used to do it when on duty. Then he hid his bag behind garbage cans.

After a second thought, he focused and went super as to change the color of his hair. He knew he would still have to be careful about cameras and prying eyes but his transformation might prevent anyone from recognizing him.

He flew off to the roof of the bank's neighboring building. The place offered an interesting point of view, allowing him to observe the main bank's entrance where the hostage-taking was taking place. Yet, his blood froze at once when he found out that the hostage takers were standing just outside of the main door with a careless Videl bargaining with them on the open. The guys were seemingly trying to figure out the better escape and Gohan had no doubt they were on the edge. One of them was holding a woman with a gun aimed at her face while two others were standing each side of him, weapons in hands and ready to shoot.

Closing his fist with his index finger stretched out as to mime a gun, Gohan pointed at the man keeping the hostage. He closed one eye and tried to aim. His first intention had been to kill them from afar with a ray of energy just the way he'd done it a week before, but, without his binoculars, he realized that it was way too risky. He could have wounded the woman.

He gave up and opted for a closest attack. He plunged down into the air and flew straight to the unsuspecting robbers. He kicked the hostage-taker right in the head and knocked him out in the blink of an eye. The guy hit the ground and stopped moving.

The woman uttered a howl of terror and surprise. Ignoring her scream, Gohan didn't lose any time and punched one of the henchmen. The hit stunned him and he stumbled with a loud thud. However, all this had left enough time for the third guy to react. He'd been the one talking to Videl and he fired without a second thought and without much thought at what or who he aimed.

Gohan embraced Videl from behind and whirled around in order to shield her from the bullets by increasing his energy. The shooting seemed to last an eternity. Some inches further, Gohan could see the cops' cars getting riddled with myriads of small impacts at the jerky pace of the constant fire. He could also feel Videl holding her breath while instinctively clutching his shirt with tense fingers, her head bowed in search for protection.

Then, the magazine was empty and the gun silenced. Videl gazed up at him. She looked stunned and lost when their eyes met for a split a second. At this very moment, he had the oppressing feeling that she knew who he was. It was impossible though. The chech only disclosed his translucent eyes due to his super form. Not to mention, she hardly knew him, yet and his features were still unfamiliar to her. The chances that she could identify him were close to none. Despite all this, he wouldn't have been surprised if she'd uttered his name.

He didn't linger on the thought and whirled around to face the shooter. The guy was short of ammunition but he could have another weapon so Gohan knocked him out at once with a single kick. Despite the distance, he could hear the impressed mumbling of the crowd watching from afar. He knew he should hurry and disappear by now.

He looked around to consider the situation. The hostage had been out of harm all along for she had fled back to the bank's entrance and thus she'd been behind the shooter the whole time. She was sobbing, sitting on the ground but she was safe and sound.

The three robbers were lying unconscious on the floor. Gohan picked up the weapons that were still likely to be loaded and swung them to the numb policemen across the street. Then, he turned to Videl. "Are there more of them inside?" he asked.

She watched him with widened eyes and shook her head.

Gohan nodded and he was about to fly off when she called him back. "Wait!"

He froze and looked at her with a frown. "Who the hell are you?" she exclaimed, her voice tinged with demand and frustration.

He shrugged and raised high in the sky, leaving her behind. He was relieved to understand that she hadn't recognized him as he had stupidly feared it. He'd handled things pretty well actually.

Videl squinted at him until he was out of sight. Her mind was bubbling with anger, questions and frustration. Only when he was completely gone, she opened her fist to study what she had in her hand. She couldn't explain why she had so pathetically clung to his shirt during the shooting but she'd realized afterward that something had slipped out of his chest pocket in the process and she'd grabbed it without giving it much thought when he had turned away from her to take care of the last robber. She was dumbfounded to find out it was canteen tickets from her own high school.


	3. Chapter 3

"Gohan! We've been looking for you for lunch."

Erasa's cheerful voice dragged Gohan out from his magazine. He looked up at her walking to him with Videl and Sharp chatting together in her wake.

Gohan had settled down at a picnic table in the school's park to eat a sandwich. He gulped down his mouthful and greeted the group with a smile.

Sharp sat next to him on the bench and leaned toward him. "We couldn't find you in the cafeteria. I was very sad. Are you sulking, darling?" he moaned by blinking seductively.

Gohan chuckled nervously. He could never say exactly when Sharp was serious and when he wasn't. "Not at all, I – I just felt like picnicking today. It's sunny and I can't find my tickets for the canteen either way."

"Really? What a scatterbrain," Videl pointed out.

Sharp had an amused pout. "At least, he's dressed up normally today. I'm not far from believing that he picked up his folk clothes on purpose to shame us yesterday."

Gohan shrugged absently at the remark. He'd mulled over the best way to fit in the school's dress code without upsetting his mother and he'd decided that he would change his clothes each day on his way to school. It meant starting earlier in the morning but he felt more at ease among the other students all by avoiding endless argument with Chichi. He was glad to hear that he looked more normal in Sharp's standard. "Talking about it, how did your hostage-taking turn out yesterday, Videl?" Gohan asked as to change the subject of conversation.

"Don't you know?" Erasa exclaimed.

"Don't you even watch TV? Man, you should let go of your books once in a while," Sharp berated, "A super strong guy showed up out of the blue and saved the day. Videl had no time to do anything at all."

"Really?" Gohan feigned bewilderment.

"The golden ninja," Erasa added with a cheesy grin and gleam in the eyes.

"Golden what? What's that, 'golden ninja'?" Gohan choked.

"That's what the journalists named him. You really don't know anything about that, Gohan?" Videl resumed. Her disbelieving tone made Gohan uncomfortable and he just shook his head.

"He saved Videl by shielding her with his own body, can you believe it? Everything was filmed," Erasa carried on, her voice dripping with overdone admiration.

"I have to admit it's true but still, it was a crazy move. People could have got wounded or killed. Even though he did a good job, he was damn fearless," Videl said.

"And - Do we know who this superman is?" Gohan asked hesitantly.

Videl sat down beside him on the bench and leaned sideway to him. Stuck against Sharp on the other side, Gohan couldn't dodge her closeness as she gave him a suspicious stare. "Why? Do you have an idea about his identity?" She mumbled.

"Me? Of course not! Why would I? I've just heard of him for the first time," he objected.

She looked him straight in the eyes and took a deep, slow breath before backing away from him.

He frowned. Why was she doing this? Torturing him and suspecting him. He'd saved her life yesterday. He could have contented himself with staying quietly at school, listening to Erasa's babbling and feeding his starving stomach. Yet, he'd come to help her and if truth to be told, she was having a hard time with the robbers when he'd showed up at the bank. He'd fixed up things in a heartbeat. There had been no wounded, no endless wait and no time for stress. Like each time he'd given a hand to help the world, things turned against him while he only craved for a normal and tranquil life.

"Look! There you have a picture of him. Isn't he the most handsome thing you ever seen?" Erasa said by slamming a newspaper on the table.

Gohan studied carefully the photo on the front page. He was relieved to find out that it was utterly impossible to recognize him. The picture was blurry and his black chech hid most of his face, not to mention his silver shaggy hair.

"Damn, stop it Erasa. He's masked. How can you assume he's good-looking? It's stupid," Sharp growled in annoyance.

Erasa remained unaffected by the harsh remark. She looked down at the picture with dreamy eyes. "You can't get it, Sharp. I just feel it. It's obvious," she argued. She turned to Videl. "You were so close to him, Videl. What do you think? Could I be wrong?"

"I don't know, Erasa. I don't know if he's handsome but don't worry, I'm doing my best to find out what he looks like," Videl spelled out.

The bell ringing the end of the lunch break interrupted them and they had to move to the sport class.

Sport was the class Gohan dreaded the most. He knew he would have to be very careful so that no one could suspect any of his abilities. When he'd joined the school, he'd asked if he could skip sport but the headmaster had been very firm about this option. It was impossible unless he had medical reasons.

As the group made his way through the school Gohan figured out that the place was even bigger than he'd thought at first. It was impressive and he felt grateful to his classmates for guiding him through this maze.

The amazing size of the school was up to its cost though and although Gohan had a scholarship, he still had a lot of expenses out of his pocket. He'd paid thanks to the money he'd spared over the years serving M and he told his mother that he had been offered a second scholarship in addition to the one he really had.

Chichi had been the one insisting on him attending Satan Highschool because it was renowned as the best school in town. And what could fit better than the best school for the best student? She would never have brought herself to give it up for a question of money. As always, Gohan had found a solution. Since he earned far more than the mere part-time waiter he was supposed to be at Barney's, he'd always kept part of his money away from Chichi's prying eyes. Thus, he had a small fee at disposal and he used this hidden money to complete the bills.

Now was the first sport class of the year and he wasn't allowed to screw up.

They started with a short jog. The teacher placed himself in the middle of the stadium as to spy on the sluggish runners. His relentless eyes were watching for any attempt to slow down or stop and he would blow his shrill whistle each time he would spot a reluctant student.

Gohan took great care of ruling his pace and he was able to keep a quite slow speed. At first he tried to keep up with Erasa's pace. However, she was striving and even though she could hardly keep a regular breath, she wouldn't lose an opportunity to chat with whoever was running by her as soon as the teacher looked away. Thus, she was lagging behind so much that Gohan couldn't stay next to her unless ending up walking.

Videl proved to be something of a quick, tough runner and she was far ahead of everyone. Gohan didn't want to draw unwanted attention by running with her. Sharp was a fair middle option. Gohan decided to use him as standard and he stayed on his heels all along. As a matter of fact, it happened to be quite amusing since it ignited Sharp's vivid competitive spirit. He couldn't bear with the idea that Gohan could overtake him and spent most of his time glancing over his shoulder in order to check out if Gohan was coming closer to him.

Gohan enjoyed the situation as a little revenge on Sharp's usual sarcasms. Gohan didn't really care about the jog though. If anything, he was willing to keep the role of the awkward nerd and he was mostly concerned by the sports that would demand strength or quickness. Those could betray him, especially with a suspicious Videl around. Like Erasa had pointed it out, Videl had been very close to him during the hostage-taking, and she might have registered any little detail that could blow out his cover. She was a snooper and she was smart. Definitely dangerous.

When they were done running, the teacher noted everything he'd observed about each of them. Then, he gathered them and brought them to a gymnasium where a dojo had been settled down. The sight triggered Gohan's instant frown. He needed to avoid any sport involving struggle whatsoever. It was way too risky. Truth was he'd hoped that this kind of sport wouldn't be taught at school but as he saw the tatami, he understood that he would have little chance to escape. He felt a knot forming in his guts.

"Now kids, I have a surprise for your first class with me," the teacher claimed.

He was a middle-aged man and his manners had been somewhat military so far - cold and bossy. However, his tone had suddenly changed and he sounded very excited now - something like a kid about to meet Santa Claus. The detail caused the student's curiosity as well as their wariness. A tense silence replied his announcement.

"The great Satan will honor us with a demonstration of martial arts!" the teacher added proudly.

Murmurs of astonishment echoed as the Champion himself showed up at the door, his goofy, triumphant face wearing a stupid confident beam.

"Videl, you could have told us," Sharp muttered.

"I didn't know," Videl whispered in confusion.

Satan stepped up to the middle of the tatami and raised a greeting hand until the group of students was back to quietness. "For this first class, I agreed to give you a little demonstration of Martial Art. I hope it will inspire you and motivate you for the whole year. And if you work hard enough, I'll be back to visit you at the end of the year. Don't expect to reach my level though. It requires too much talent and training!"

Gohan was standing in the back rows of the little crowd. He pressed his back against the wall and folded his arms while the other students before him were listening to the Champion with an overdone respect.

"So? Who does volunteer to be my partner?" Satan asked.

Several students raised eager hands. The Champion's gaze wandered on the group.

Half hidden behind his classmates, Gohan was studying him in disapproval. All this guy could do to look brilliant was to beat teenagers without any notion of fight and any training. Still, Gohan knew it would earn him glory and admiration whereas he'd been a complete coward at the Cell Game, whining for his life all the fight long. Seeing him again reminded Gohan of the terrible battle and of everything he'd lost then.

"You! Don't be afraid! You're shy but I can see you crave for it!" Satan exclaimed suddenly, pointing at Erasa.

"Me?" she murmured with a backlash. "Uh - No, no, Mr. Satan, I –"

"Yes, you! Come on! I'm not going to hurt you, come on," the Champion insisted.

The girl took an unwilling step back and bumped against Gohan right behind her. He gritted his teeth in repressed disgust. Choosing Erasa sounded the height of cowardice to him. He rested his hand on her shoulder and pulled her gently aside.

"I'll go in her place, Mr. Satan. Erasa hates fighting," Gohan claimed. Her eyes met his over her shoulder, and she gave him a grateful nod. Satan had a slight frown.

"I'm not scaring you, am I?" Gohan asked with a fake joking tone.

The Champion blurted out a loud laugh. "Of course not, boy! Come on. You want it so badly, it seems," he replied.

Everyone kept silent as Gohan walked to him. He knew he had to hold back. He even had to go very smoothly and it wouldn't be easy. Yet, the opportunity to scratch the champion's glaze had unleashed a mighty jubilation in him.

The two fighters got into position. Satan looked Gohan right in the eyes and something on the Champion's face changed. He cringed faintly.

Gohan didn't wait longer and throw a slight kick, sending Hercules straight to the ground. The Champion fell flat on his back with a loud thud.

Gohan raised his eyebrows in feigned astonishment. He could hear the shocked whispers of the other students on the edge of the tatami.

"Gohan! What the hell are you doing? Wait for the signal!" the teacher yelled angrily.

"Sorry," the young man replied sheepishly while raising his hands as an excuse.

"Your teacher's right, young man. There are rules," Satan coughed as he struggled to his feet. "Besides, it's just a demonstration. Now, wait for the signal."

The champion took his time dusting himself and doing some more stretching to warm up. Gohan was repressing his amusement while watching his opponent's pathetic attempt to gain time. Satan eventually went back to his fighting stance. "How did you say your name was, boy?" he asked then.

"Gohan, sir. Gohan Son."

Satan's features drooped at once and a nervous twitch stirred the corner of his lip. "Right, Gohan. So, we're waiting for your teacher's signal," he reminded after a silent while.

When the signal echoed, the young man kept still. After a second thought, Hercules threw a punch at him. Gohan blocked it in his palm and, whirling around with the Champion's imprisoned fist in hand, he had him slide over his shoulder and sent him again straight to the floor. Satan's back hit the tatami with a resounding slam. This time the audience stirred frankly and some girls let out shouts of surprise and dismay.

Gohan stared at his opponent lying at his feet. The Champion gazed back in disbelief and at that moment, Gohan could read in his eyes that he'd definitely recognized the boy who'd defeated Cell years ago.

"I can't believe it," someone whispered in the crowd. Gohan pinpointed Videl's voice and it sounded like a sudden reminder of where he was and who was there with him. Although he'd hold back his strength, he realized he'd done too much already. He enjoyed playing with Satan but it was a dangerous game and Gohan couldn't allow himself to get carried away.

He leaned over Satan and stretched his hand out as a help for him to stand up. "Go ahead. I promise your next blow will go straight to the point," Gohan murmured to him as the fighter grasped his hand.

The Champion gave a loud confident laugh as he turned to the bewildered students. "So. That was an amazing demonstration of self-defense, wasn't it? See, even a weak boy like Gohan can make it with the right move at the right time. I helped him a bit of course since I faked the fall," he explained.

Gohan's classmates were listening with some skepticism on their faces but Satan carried on. "Now I'm going to attack him. I'll go easy on him of course but I won't give him the opportunity to defend himself and you'll see the difference."

He turned back to Gohan and searched his eyes for a sign that he would truly play the game and feigned to be beaten. "Ready, boy?"

Gohan nodded. Satan kicked his chin. Gohan froze all his defensive reflexes and fell backward in an ungraceful and unnatural move. The Champion gazed at him in wariness until he was sure that the boy wouldn't attempt any counterattack. Only then, he beamed. The students and teachers applauded him and the winner roared with laughter.

Gohan laid on his back for a while, listening to the teacher congratulating the Champion with a warm, admiring voice. All Gohan could see was the ceiling above him and he closed his eyes, torn between a deep weariness and a muffled anger.

Yet, thanks to his contribution to Satan's glory Gohan had an excuse to skip the rest of the sport class, pretending he had now severe backaches. He even feigned limping in order to add some credit to his lie. The teacher freed him until the next class and Gohan left the gymnasium behind with relief.

After changing himself, he made his way back to the building where his classrooms were located. The teacher had allowed him to go work in the study room until the sport class was over.

He went back to his locker to take his books but as he opened the metallic door he found a white card pinned inside of it. He grabbed it with some bewilderment and turned it around to see what it was about. It was a new photo. It had been almost ten days since his last contract. The missions were given at a random rate. Sometimes he wouldn't hear of M for weeks and sometimes he would have three pictures in a month.

He looked at the guy's face. It was a filthy blonde haired man with an ugly scar running along his cheek. Gohan assumed the scar was a burn. The man looked unsympathetic, his eyes cold and aggressive. Gohan clenched his fingers on the photo.

He hardly dared imagine how M managed to slip this photo into his locker in his high school. It felt like a dreadful intrusion into his private life and he knew it was a clear sign to warn him that M could reach him wherever he was. He shivered out of wariness and anger.

All of the sudden he wondered what would happen if he didn't honor the contract. What could happen after all? What would happen for sure was that he would be short of money to pay the rest of the year in this high school, which meant that he would need an explanation for his mother. He would also have to face her disappointment. She would certainly lack money for Goten's tutor too.

Maybe, Gohan could replace him and teach his brother on his own. Was it really so important for Gohan to go through high school? Maybe, he could find another school - a cheaper, less renowned one. He could also find a little job to feed his family. He still had some savings ahead, so maybe he would be able to - How long though? Until his father came back? Until his _dead_ father came back? And what would he do without any qualifications? Casual jobs for the rest of his life? It wouldn't do.

"You're oddly stronger than I thought," a voice said behind his back.

He got startled and slammed the door of his locker in a hurry. Videl was standing behind him. He didn't turn around to face her and merely kept silent.

"You dealt pretty well with my father," she insisted.

"Huh, don't imagine anything. I took him by surprise the first time and he fell on purpose the second time," Gohan muttered.

"Maybe. Still, even taking him by surprise, you had him hit the ground."

Gohan whirled around with a fake smile. "I told you it's not as incredible as it seems. Your father is up to his legend though and he ruined my back," he objected.

"And yet, you sounded quite confident when you volunteered."

"I did it for Erasa in the first place. She looked frightened at your father's offer. Besides I knew that he wouldn't really attack me,"

Her icy, piercing eyes looked right through him. Each time she stared at him that way he had the puzzling feeling that she was scanning his mind. Her eyes drifted to his locker he'd snatched closed too hastily the moment she showed up.

Noticing her suspicious gaze, he turned the key locking the door once and for all. "I have to work now. I still have a lot to do in literature," Gohan resumed, eager to end her questioning.

While walking away, he could feel her disbelieving eyes glued to him and only then, he realized that he'd forgotten to keep on limping.


	4. Chapter 4

Gohan stretched and leaned back in his seat. He peered at the clock above Barney's counter. It was nearly ten o'clock and the unfriendly book of literature still rested open before him on the table. Gohan couldn’t tell who or what he had been reading about.

As he glimpsed through the window, he found out that the night had fallen. The days were getting shorter although the weather was still mild.

Gohan had started school about ten days ago. Since he needed Chichi to believe he was working as a waiter, he had to spend every weekend evening downtown. Barney was kind enough to allow him to hang around in his bar and Gohan had decided he might as well use this free time to try to tame classical literature. Even so, the subject still remained unamenable to his excellence.

He took solace in the thought of his mother's pride. The sparkles of love and admiration in her eyes each time he left for "work", taking his books to be able to study during the "breaks", were definitely something he held dear. Even though Gohan couldn't deny that her pride was somewhat unjustified, the important thing was that Chichi was so much happier than the first years after his father's death. Nothing else mattered.

He forced his weary eyes back to the book but he couldn't focus. He rummaged absently through his bag and pulled out the same worn magazine he'd been carrying around for days. It was about motorbikes. Gohan had turned fascinated by these machines. He'd never ridden any bikes and basically, he couldn't figure out that it could be more exhilarating than flying, but still he felt oddly mesmerized by the steel monsters.

"Look at him, stuck in his books again. You, freaky nerd," Sharpener stated while sitting opposite of him with a beer in his hand.

"Even on a Friday night in a bar. You should relax man," he added with his usual cocky smirk by closing Gohan's literature book in a loud snap.

Gohan looked up at him with a sort of gratefulness. "Do you have better suggestion?" he sighed at the newcomer.

"Well, a beer might be a good start," Sharp replied by sliding a fresh glass toward him. "As a matter of fact, I'm waiting for the girls but we don't have real plans for now."

Gohan set his magazine aside and took a sip from the beer. Sharp's attention was caught by the paper and he pulled it to him. He contemplated the machine on the cover page for a while. "You like bikes?" he asked Gohan, his voice tinged with disbelief.

"Actually, I've never given it a try but I think I would love it."

A worrying smirk stretched Sharp's lips and a spark flared in his orbs. "Then, I know what we could do tonight. I'll take you to see some races. If we're lucky enough, we could even find someone ready to lend you a bike. "

"Try what?" Videl asked as she showed up.

Sharp gave her a knowing peek. "A little race. What do you think? Are you in, Videl?"

She slumped down on the bench next to him and pushed him aside as to get enough space to sit. She had a thoughtful pout. "Why not? Will you run with us, Gohan?"

"Run? Huh. No, I just said I would love to try riding a bike," he objected.

"Goohaan! Are you there too? I thought you'd be home for the weekend," Erasa exclaimed as she walked to them, a glass of beer in each hand. She placed one in front of Videl and sat opposite from her, forcing Gohan to make some place for her on the bench.

"Erasa's right. Aren't you home with your parents for the weekend?" Videl resumed.

Gohan cringed. He'd known from the beginning that he should have made up a better lie about where he truly lived. He would have to deal with his mistake for the rest of the year now – which would mean tricky lies all along. "Huh, not tonight," he replied awkwardly.

"So? What about this race?" Sharp cut off.

"Gosh, no! Not again. No motors tonight, I hate that. There are always a bunch of gross drunkasses there. Not to mention that it ends up in accidents most of the time. It's boring," Erasa grunted.

"Come on, just a race or two. If I win, I'll use the prize to pay us a night in a select club, I promise," Videl insisted.

"Besides, Gohan dreams of riding a bike," Sharp added.

Erasa shrugged in resignation and sipped her beer.

"What is it about these races? They doesn't seem very legal," Gohan asked.

Sharp chuckled. "They aren’t. I hope it doesn't scare you."

Gohan smirked at Videl. "Does that mean you’re a law breaker too, Videl?" he asked.

Videl scowled and flushed. She glared at him but he wouldn't break eye contact, willing to get an answer. "Well, once in a while. What about you?" she mumbled.

"Once in a while, I am too," he said while repressing his urge to laugh.

She felt he was mocking her and she was finally the one to avert her eyes. She gulped down her beer in one go as to keep her composure. Gohan studied her frown with amusement. This girl wasn't used to losing an argument.

She snapped her empty glass on the table. "Let's go," she claimed loudly.

They embarked on Videl's craft and she took them out of town. They flew over a dark countryside with a scattering of farms. A few miles beyond the town's boundaries, Gohan made out a large area bounded by rows of braziers and some spotlights connected to generators. As they came closer, he figured out that the many flames were actually marking the border of a track where machines of all kinds were racing in a cloud of dust and mud. From above the sight was hectic and the roars echoing in the air made it even more puzzling. Groups of people were pressed in places that seemed to stand as checkpoints. Videl landed apart from the main crowd beside a row of other crafts.

"What the hell is this place?" Gohan asked, fascinated by the queer atmosphere.

"It's an underground racetrack. Everyone can place their bets without any questions," Sharp explained.

"Not to mention it's the best place to meet drunk guys with gross manners," Erasa huffed.

"You know you can count on me in case you're in trouble, Erasa," Videl reminded.

"On me too, if you ask," Sharp growled.

Gohan was no longer listening to them. He was already out of the craft and melting down into the crowd, watching the place and the people with astonished eyes. A guy in a rotten cabin was selling drinks and fried food while loudspeakers were broadcasting music at an excessive volume. A joyful hubbub rose from the audience, mixing laughter, shouts, and the sound of motors being regulated.

The group of current drivers rode by the checkpoint in a deafening din. Gohan studied the competitors with interest. There were a lot of different machines. Motorbikes, cars and a whole bunch of unlikely vehicles – things patched together with undefinable pieces of metal and only inspired by their owner's tortured imagination. All of them dealt incredibly well with the muddy soil and all of them were going at full speed.

The crowd yelled in excitement as they drove by. On a small platform, a guy with a cowboy hat and a microphone spelled the order of the current competitors. His loudspeaker hardly competed with the shouts and whistles his words were triggering. When the pack of vehicles was past the checkpoint, people calmed down at last.

Gohan was snatched from his scrutiny by a hand on his arm. "If you really want to give it a try, you'll have to train."

When he turned around, he found Videl standing next to him and smiling at him. He noticed that it was the first time she smiled at him so naturally without any challenge and any suspicion in her eyes.

Gohan felt excited to be there. "Are you - going for a race?" he asked in disbelief.

"Sure and I intend to win some zenis on top of it," she replied without a second thought.

He noticed a spark in her eyes. "But - Do you have a bike?"

She showed him a capsule she was holding between her fingers. Then, she threw it casually on the ground and an impressive machine appeared before Gohan's bewildered eyes. Videl grabbed the helmet clutched on it and mimed a curtsey. "Here we are," she claimed.

Gohan narrowed his eyes, admiring the bike's shiny steel.

"Hey, Gohan, I got one for you too. If you're still willing to try it, that is," Sharp said behind him.  
Gohan frowned at him as Sharp pointed his thumb at another bike a little further. It was nothing near Videl's – smaller and battered – but the sight of its awesome engineering delighted Gohan nevertheless.

"Good. I'm going to sign up for the next race. Have fun, boys," Videl announced, walking away in the crowd to the platform.

Gohan stepped closer to the bike Sharp had brought for him. He walked around carefully while studying the commands he had learned about in magazines.

"Hey, Son, just one thing. You break, you pay. Can you afford it?" Sharp warned with crossed arms.  
Gohan kept examining the bike. He sat on it and tested his position as a driver for a while. He felt frantic. He had to try it. "I can afford it," he replied eventually.

Erasa showed up holding a pack of beers. "Gosh, the guys here are quite the classy type, as usual. Do you want to know how many groping hands my ass had to dodge so that I could get us this little treasure?" she exclaimed in annoyance.

"We don't really care," Sharp said without a single glance at her.

Erasa ignored his reply and went to Gohan with a grin. "So, Gohan, how do you like real bikes?"

As a reply, Gohan smiled at her and turned on the ignition, forcing the bike to roar fiercely.

Sharp had taken the beers from Erasa's arms and he was opening one of them. "You know how to do it?" he asked in a shout as Gohan was testing the motor. Before Gohan had time to answer, the bike jerked ahead. The impulse Gohan had given had been somewhat too brutal and the machine slipped slightly at first. However, Gohan could get the upper hand on it pretty fast and was able to restore his balance and drive further.

Sharp watched him from afar as he circled around them. "This guy is... surprising," he told Erasa as she took a beer from the pack.

Gohan was soon carried away. He knew nothing about driving bikes except for what he'd read in books and magazines and he needed to get used to the machine's reactions. Yet, his unusual strength happened to be helpful as the bike's weight was no trouble to him and he managed to maintain his balance easily enough.

As he had expected, he liked it. It was both freedom and might although strangely different from what he felt when flying or fighting. It was somehow all at once –flying and fighting. He took a long ride around the place and went back to Sharp and Erasa now sitting next to a brazier. He stopped the bike beside them with the motor still on.

"Gohan, you're doing great!" Erasa exclaimed by saluting him with her bottle.

"You want us to believe that you've never ridden a bike before, are you kidding?" Sharp muttered.

"Actually I read a lot of books about bikes," he explained sheepishly.

"You're incredible. You're really able to learn anything. I understand now why you love books so much," Erasa pointed out.

"Bullshit," Sharp growled.

"I'm in the next race," Videl claimed as she was walking back to them.

She gave Gohan a worried glance, then turned to Sharp. "How is he doing with the bike?" she asked him.

Sharp had a bitter chuckle. "How he's doing? I think he tried to fool us. He's probably already driven a bike before. He barely hit the ground once or twice. Boring," Sharp grumbled.

"Don't be jealous, sweetie. It's called talent. Maybe one day, I'll explain to you what it's about. Right now, you're not mature enough for that," Erasa mocked while faking a kiss.

Videl sat down beside them and watched wordlessly as Gohan killed the engine to join them. He grabbed a beer and looked at the pack driving by again, causing the loud excitement of the crowd, then the cowboy's announcement in the loudspeaker. "I'm going to sign up too," he claimed absently.

"What? You're crazy," Videl exclaimed. He stared at her, his features stern and unaffected. She blinked at the unusual mask she was discovering on his face. He was suddenly impassive, quiet, self-confident.

"Why not? I can do it," he added simply.

"Gohan, it's dangerous," Erasa objected.

"Dangerous? It's not a problem. I know I can do it," he insisted.

"The other competitors are no angels, you know. Besides, I remind you that there are no real rules,"Videl resumed.

"I'm not always an angel either," he replied, his eyes back to the track.

"Let him be Videl. It might be more exciting than his usual nights studying literature," Sharp chuckled.

"Stop your crap, Sharp. What if he has an accident?" Videl yelledl.

"I'm going to sign up," Gohan said as he got up.

"This guy is nuts. I like it," Sharp pointed out as he watched him walk away.

Videl felt deeply irritated at his careless tone. "You should try to dissuade him instead of making moronic comments," she scowled.

With that, she rose and ran behind Gohan. "Gohan! Don't do that, it's stupid. It's really dangerous, especially if you never drove a bike before. You have no experience –"

He stopped and turned to her. His onyx eyes went right through hers as he took her by the shoulders, and he gave her a weak smile. "Videl, don't worry for me. I know what I’m doing. Although if it is as dangerous as you say, I’d be worried about you too,"

She almost choked. "Worry for me? I’ve done this before. And don’t turnt this on me!" She was blushing out of anger and frustration.

"I know Videl, it's never about you. Let go of me now," he replied calmly. Then he gave her his back and made his way to the platform where he could sign up for the next race.

Speechless, she stared at him until he melted down into the crowd. Could it be that he was drunk already? This guy was definitely impossible to pin down.

They had to wait more than half an hour before they were called to the starting line. All the while, Videl kept a wary eye on the empty cans of beers accumulating on the ground. None of her friends seemed to share her concern at the prospect of Gohan running that damn race though. Erasa had picked up a second pack of beer while Sharp remained very cynical about whether Gohan would bite the dust. He had even made a bet with Erasa about this possibility as the girl had turned more disconnected with each beer. Gohan's confidence hadn't faded though and Videl could feel his impatience bubbling.

Thus, when they eventually positioned himself on the starting line, the only thing she could do was position herself by Gohan's side as to watch him. She spotted the most offensive competitors around them and did her best to stay at distance. Her intention to make some money by being among the winners was long gone and the only thing she could focus on was Gohan.

A girl in a very short dress waddled in front of the pack. When all the drivers were still in place, she walked to the side of the trail and raised the flag signaling departure. As soon as she lowered it, a roar of motors and a rain of mud coated the world while the mass of machines darted on the track.

Videl accelerated as much as possible in an attempt to free herself from the other riders' oppressing pack. Yet, Gohan went out of her sight in a split second. The darkness and the crowd swallowed him before she could do anything.

Gohan felt the adrenaline running in his veins the moment the machines around him rushed away on the track. He had to repress his jubilation as he was unwillingly increasing his ki. Having his ki make a difference was the last thing he wished. He threaded his way between two cars before him and went to maximum speed, as soon as he was able to leave most of the embarrassing crowd behind.

He was caught off guard by the first turn. Only then, he realized that he should have scouted the area before the start of the race. Dust and mud splattered his face through the slit of his helmet for he hadn't pulled down the visor and it didn't help scrutinizing the road. All the same, he didn't weaken his efforts to catch up with the drivers ahead.

He didn't know exactly in what position he stood in the race, so he simply overtook any competitor he found on his way. It was providing him a fierce joy each time he did. He had to dodge some other bikes that tried to bump him on purpose but what he dreaded the most were the turns. The lights of the braziers along the road were weak so the only thing he could do to keep himself on track was keep a careful eye on the lights of the vehicles ahead of him. It was the only safe way to detect the turns. Yet, at some point, there were no longer lights to guide him. First he felt excited at the thought that it could mean he was the first but wariness soon took over as he was uncertain about the possible tricks of the road.

All of a sudden, the ground curved down under his wheels. He hadn't anticipated the gap and lost control of the bike. The machine left the ground and landed on the side of the road, his wheels furiously scratching the earth as it fell aside. Gohan was thrown down. He hit the ground by bumping his head just before his bike crashed straight on his leg.

The shock stunned him for an instant. He could hear the sound of the pack rushing by on the trail. He disentangled himself of the heavy bike and crawled aside. He felt dizzy and only at that moment, he realized he should have gone easy on the beer.

He sat on the floor and pulled off his helmet. He had to wipe away the mud that had cracked through his open visor to clear his sight.

"Gohan!"

He turned to the voice calling him and squinted. He could make out Videl running to him in the dim light.

Worry shone through her eyes, a genuine concern for his well being. A tug at his lips told him that he was smiling.

Videl stopped by his side, sinking through her haunches to meet him at eye level. “ You idiot,” she whispered to him. Her hands reached out, maybe to wipe some smudge away from his face, but they stopped in midair and never completed their course. “ You could’ve died. And why is that so funny?’

He didn’t know why it was. But by the time he had rubbed the grime from his eyes and lips, he was laughing.


	5. Chapter 5

Gohan had enjoyed the night a lot. The race, the atmosphere, he'd loved everything. However, as he woke up the next morning with a bad headache, he was reminded that it had also ended in a tricky situation.

After the accident, Videl and him joined Erasa and Sharp while Videl insisted on taking him back home. Gohan's leg was bleeding and of course, there was no way she would let him walk back to his place. Of course, there was no way either he would explain that he was okay enough to fly back on his own to plot 38.

Although his brain was somewhat hazy because of the beer, he realized at once that he needed to make up a good story. Quickly.

Videl and Sharp bargaining with the bike's renter had gained him some time. Gohan's bike was a wreck and he had sheepishly confessed that he hadn't enough money with him to pay for the damage. The owner of the machine was a tattooed mountain with fists like anvils and he made it clear that he wanted instant payment and wouldn't content himself with the teenagers' promise of coming back the next day to repay their debt.

Videl and Sharp had argued a long time about who had the bright idea to take Gohan here and to let him be part of the race with a bike he didn't own. Gohan was filled with exhaustion and dizziness and he just sat down next to a brazier without paying attention to the fight. For some reason, he didn't feel concerned by the argument. He was much more worried about finding an answer for Videl when she would ask him where she should drop him.

By the time Videl and Sharp were able to gather the fee the guy was claiming, they found out that Erasa was gone and nowhere to be seen.

Videl had a dreadful fit at that. "I can't believe you picked up another pack of beer, Sharp. I'm pretty sure she drank it all and where is she now? You gotta go and find her while we wait for you in my craft," she barked at him, spluttering out of rage.

"Damn, calm down Videl. I’ll get her," Sharp grumbled in annoyance and, doing as he was said, he walked away and lost himself into the restless crowd.

Videl kept glaring at him until he was out of sight. Then, she grabbed Gohan by his collar and forced him on his legs. "You’re coming with me," she grunted.

He could feel her deep irritation as she dragged him to her craft but it wasn't enough to shadow his glee about the race and the rest of the night.

"Where does your aunt live?" Videl muttered by having him sit down in her aircraft.

"Videl, keep cool. We had some fun tonight, didn't we? Or are you always on edge like that?" Gohan chuckled.

Her eyes widened in disbelief and anger. "Fun? Did you see your leg? It's soaked with blood. Doesn't it hurt enough to remind you it's nowhere near fun? It wasn't fun, it was just stupid," she exclaimed while removing the tissue she'd wrapped around the wound. The fabric was dripping in blood and she swung it out of the craft.

Something clicked in Gohan's muddy brain. His unaffected behavior and his insensitivity to pain were becoming too suspect. Drunkenness was definitely making him too thoughtless and too restless; he had better shut up.

Videl searched her glove box for a medical kit and she started cleaning the wound. It was mostly superficial gashes but it was bleeding a lot. She poured the disinfectant while studying Gohan's face. "Does it hurt?" she asked in a suspicious voice.

"I think I drank too much to feel pain," Gohan grumbled as he felt too exhausted to pretend he was aching.

Videl didn't reply but he could read her mind on her face. Even overly wasted, she would have jumped out of her skin if anyone had poured pure alcohol on a wound like this one and as she bandaged him again, she didn't miss that Gohan's muscles were more impressive than average.

That was bad, not to mention he felt affected by her touch. His blood was hammering his temples, reminding him that he needed to find a damn answer to her damn question. Where does your aunt live?

Sharp showed up all of a sudden. He was supporting an unsteady Erasa half humming, half singing an awful melody.

"Erasa, where have you been?" Videl asked in concern while storing the medical kit back in place.

"I met some super-cooooool guys. One of them had a guitar and – hooo, I never knew I loved guitar so much," she stammered. The hectic way she uttered each word and the overdone emotion in her voice spoke volumes about her inebriation.

Sharp rolled his eyes and Videl gave her an amused smile. Gohan noticed that she was much more compromising with Erasa than she'd been with Sharp and him and he couldn't help but find it unfair.

Videl and Sharp helped Erasa to fasten her seatbelt and when everyone was settled, Videl started the engine and turned back to Gohan. "Where do I take you?" she asked once again.

"To the Capsule. I'll show you the way," he replied. Actually he couldn't have found a better answer. Bulma's house was in a town nearby and it was close enough to the High School to match his lie. Truth to be told, he was quite proud to be able to make up such a good story despite his state of haziness.

Videl had left him at the entrance of the Capsule's building and he pretended to enter the house. Bulma's security system recognized him at once and granted him access without any problems. Thus, he could give the perfect illusion that he was just coming back home. Once in the garden, he only had to wait for his friends to be gone before flying quietly to his real place.

The water of his morning shower cleaned his wound, allowing a closer look at it. It was no longer bleeding and it wasn't that bad – Just like he had suspected. Now, the next thing he needed to deal with was finding a good explanation for Chichi because he'd come home later than usual.

He dried up and got dressed, taking good care to choose trousers that would keep the wound out of sight. In the kitchen he found Goten working at the table. The breakfast had already been cleared away save for a plate Chichi had set aside for Gohan.

She was standing behind her younger son and watching his every writing. "There you are, Gohan. You came home late last night, honey," she greeted.

"Barney had a problem with a fridge that went out of order. We had to sort out all the food and stock what was still edible in the cold room before he could leave the bar. I didn't want to leave him on his own," Gohan lied with a flat voice.

Chichi smiled and focused back to Goten's notebook.

"It doesn't mean that we won't go fishing, does it?" Goten asked sheepishly.

Gohan gave him a comforting grin and shook his head while gulping down the food his mother had saved for him. He watched Chichi and Goten arguing about the results of the exercise. Goten tried clumsily to plead non-guilty on the mistakes but all he got for that was a slap on the head and the command to start over again.

With that, Chichi left him alone in order to take care of the shopping bags she'd brought back. As she was storing the groceries in the cupboards, Gohan brought himself to speak. "Mum, I was thinking about something." His voice was more hesitant than he'd like and he paused.

She looked up at him in wait for the rest and he had to clear his throat before he could resume. "Huh, the way to school is somewhat long and – well, I'll have to stay late at the school's library if I want to keep up with the work. So – I wondered if you would mind if I stayed at Bulma's during the week. If she's okay with that, that is."

Chichi frowned. "I don't know. Do you think it's really necessary?"

Gohan could say the idea annoyed her but she hadn't refused at once and he took it as a good sign. "The other students are also wondering how it can be that I live so far from school although I have no craft. I can't tell them I just fly. Yet, if I lived at Bulma's during the week, they would stop their questions," he mumbled.

She rested a closed fist on her hip and her frown got even deeper. Her voice was still calm though. "Are you ashamed of what you are, Gohan? Why not just tell them?"

Gohan rubbed his head while repressing a sigh. Chichi didn't figure out how hectic his life would turn out if he did what she suggested, especially considering all the people around him held Videl's father as the strongest man in the world and savior of mankind. Actually he realized that his mother was completely disconnected from the outside world.

He looked up at her with his most pleading eyes. "Mum, flying all the way long every day is tiring and there are so many things I need to work out to catch up with the other students."

This time, his argument was a hit. Chichi's features softened as she resumed her task. "Only if Bulma is okay and you'll have to be careful not to bother her," she conceded at last.

A large grin twitched his lips. "I'll go see her before work tonight," he claimed.

His glee didn't last long though. Back in his room, he found out that he'd received a text message. Tonight - 10.30 - an address. Three lines, no further comment. Nothing unusual and yet it was enough to knot Gohan's gut for the rest of the day.

Targets were not always predictable and the appointment had been canceled several times since the day he had found the photo in his locker. Now, for some reason, Gohan found himself torn between the hope this would be a false alert again and the urge to be done with the job and to get the money. He had to pay Sharp and Videl back for the bike and the school's monthly bill wouldn't be long to come. Gohan wouldn't be able to pay both at once. Most of his savings had been used to pay his equipment and annual registration.

At some point, Gohan had dreamed of buying a bike for himself and since last night the dream had become even more vivid and nagging. Yet, he had to face facts. The bike was very secondary in his situation and if anything, the price for last night was a total waste. Besides, the money could only be used only for the family's sake. Only that. He had always sworn to himself that he wouldn't take it for any other reasons and even if his principles were somehow cracking as time went by, he would hold on to this one.

He went to Bulma's place in the late afternoon. She hadn't seen him in a whole year and true cheer shone through her face when she found him at her door. She nearly dragged him into her home in excitement and before he knew it, he was sitting in her kitchen with a cup of coffee in his hand.

"So? What's up?" She asked while taking place opposite of him.

"Everyone is doing well. I'm going to school now," he told.

"Really? Great! Tell me more. What school is it?" she exclaimed.

"Satan High School."

They were interrupted as Trunks and Vegeta showed up, seemingly back from some training session. The kid beamed as soon as he saw Gohan. "Gohan! Is Goten is with you?"

"No, not today. You should go see him sometimes. My mother won't allow him to leave the house on his own," Gohan replied with an amused smile. "Hey, hi, Vegeta," he added as greeting.

The Saiyan gave him a simple nod and opened the fridge to get drinks for Trunks and him.

"So, Satan High School?" Bulma resumed while lighting a cigarette. "That's an excellent school. Very expensive too."

"Well, I've been offered a scholarship. What a chance, huh?" Gohan explained.

"A scholarship wouldn't cover all the expenses in such a school," Bulma pointed out. "Can your mother make it through nevertheless?"

"Don't worry, I found a job as a waiter during the weekend."

"Waiter?" Vegeta cut off indignantly.

"Yeah. See, some of us have to work," Bulma retorted with a bitter glance at her husband. She focused back on Gohan and stared at him thoughtfully.

Gohan knew that Bulma could count better than his mother and she also had a much more accurate notion of what the cost of Satan High School and a part time waiter's wages were. He didn't want to leave her enough time to add up and subtract so he resumed hastily. "Actually I came to ask you a favor. Since Mount Paozu is far from school, I was wondering if you would allow me to stay at the Capsule during the week." He had a glimpse at Vegeta and added. "If it doesn't bother any of you, that is."

Bulma beamed. "How could it bother any of us? We have at least a dozen empty, useless guest rooms and some of the outbuildings we arranged for the Nameks are still standing in the park as well."

Gohan felt grateful at Bulma's suggestion. "The Nameks' outbuilding? That would be pitch perfect for me. That way, I would be able to come and go without disturbing you."

"You may even have the opportunity to use the Gravity room. You need some fair training, I can see that at first sight," Vegeta hissed.

Bulma rolled her eyes. "You'll just have to get used to Vegeta's mood," she stated.

"It should be fine, then. I'm so relieved. Thank you Bulma," Gohan said.

Bulma looked as glad as he was and she offered him to stay and have dinner with them, but he refused, making up an excuse with his duty at Barney's. He was mostly willing to avoid Bulma's questioning about the family's situation.

Bulma had always watched them from afar. She had especially helped them after his father's death, when Chichi was pregnant and during the first years after Goten's birth. The times had been very hard then. Gohan had been too young to work and support his mother and the little money Goku had left - a few remnants of tournament prizes – was gone pretty fast. Chichi's pregnancy and delivery had been somewhat difficult and even though Gohan had only been a boy, quite unaware of money, he had always known that they were in trouble. Opening his eyes and ears - especially when the adults whispered behind his back – had allowed him to grasp that Bulma had dealt with all the health expenses. She had scheduled Goten's birth in the best hospital in West City while Chichi had first planned to have the baby at home with a midwife's help. Gohan still recalled words Bulma had said to his mother to coax her. "These children don't come easily and Gohan just lost his father. Don't take a chance."

Gohan didn't like remembering that. He adored his brother and he was glad to have him. Goten was totally unaware of all the violence and brutality Gohan had gone through and this innocence made him a true sunshine in the house. Yet, his birth and the first years after it had been a rough period in Gohan's life and now the kid's confusing resemblance to Goku kept reminding Gohan that his father was no longer there to protect them.

Since Bulma had helped Chichi so much in these hard years, she couldn't be clueless about the financial situation of Gohan's family and she might find it weird that he attended Satan High School, even blessed with a scholarship and even with a waiter's job. She might conclude that there was another income somewhere and that was bad. Thinking about it, Gohan made the decision to avoid as much as possible any talk about money with his father's friend.

Thus, instead of eating with the Briefs' family, he opted for a quick dinner in a fast food restaurant face to face with the picture of the man with filthy blond hair. Gohan's brain had already memorized his unmistakable face with the awful scar running down his cheek but he liked it better to study his features again and again.

He'd checked the address where he was supposed to find him at 10.30. It was a club and that detail made him nervous. It meant he couldn't plan to reach his target from afar. It wouldn't do to just sit on a roof and wait. The front of a club was always crowded, especially at such hour, so the deal would be very different and much trickier than the previous contract. Gohan would have to go closer to the guy and he didn't like it to say the least.

When it came to killing beings without any human appearance, like Freezer or Cell, things were simple. They were frightful, cruel and evil and they had to be annihilated without a second thought. When it was about people, things weren't so easy though. They all looked like normal citizens and each time Gohan had to go close to them, this normality would hit him hard.

The first time he'd killed a man with his bare hands, he'd retched. The target proved to be a pimp running some nasty business and Gohan had no doubt he'd been sent straight to hell. At that time, he wasn't very experienced and there had been a witness. A very young girl hardly his age, dressed in a very suggestive dress with overdone make up had stumbled across him with the corpse still in hand. She didn't scream. She didn't even try to call for help. She just froze and gazed wordlessly at him with a disturbing mix of gratitude, relief and fierce jubilation. Her eyes had been more than enough to let him know that he'd done the right thing and, as far as he knew, she'd never said anything to anyone about him afterwards, but even so he threw up on his way home.

He was long done with retching but he still felt a nagging discomfort when he had to get close to his targets. It wouldn't only make things uneasy though, it was also dangerous. Gohan had always avoided any collateral damage. He had never harmed anyone but the men on the pictures. No bodyguard, no henchman, no witness had ever been reached by his blows. He'd always taken very good care of that. Only the guys on the pictures. However, when it was hand to hand, the risk was everywhere. The risk of being seen – or even worst, recognized – and the risk of hurting people who were not on the picture.

After his meal, he smoked a cigarette on the front step of the fast food restaurant while trying to gather his thoughts about the best way to act. When he was done, he flicked off his cigarette and headed to the district where the club was.

The sky was darkening and the street lamps were lighting up gradually. He couldn't help but think that the day before, at this very moment, he was about to start one of the most incredible nights of his life.


	6. Chapter 6

At first sight, the club wasn't the classy type. Its entrance stood in a narrow alleyway apart from the street. The area was dimly lit and looked quite gloomy. Yet, even so, a bunch of people were gathered around the door while three bouncers were sorting out who was allowed inside and who wasn't. Gohan watched them from afar and came to the conclusion that he wouldn't stand a chance of getting in. A guy would only be granted access if he was a regular customer or if he came along with at least two smoking hot girls.

Gohan mulled over the possibility of forcing his way through some back door, but he didn't know the place so it would be a hazardous prospect demanding time and luck. Gohan didn't have time and he wouldn't rely on his luck.

He walked away and headed to a nearby neighborhood, where he knew he would find obliging girls who wouldn't ask questions. He didn't need to search long before he stumbled across a blonde girl dressed up like a Lolita.

"Hey, cutie. You look like you're searching some company. Did you girlfriend leave you behind?" she asked him with a slick voice.

He had a nervous smile. This kind of girls always made him nervous. "Good evening, miss. I-"

"Miss? Oh, what a sweetheart you are," she exclaimed, swaying her hips and fidgeting with her plunging neckline. "Would you like to take the leap? I got everything you need. I'd even say I'm a expert in-"

"Listen, I just need you to do me a favor. Yet, I'd like to get some friend of yours too. Do you know anyone around?" Gohan interrupted her, willing to stop her ploy. His cheeks were burning as he was desperately trying to avert his eyes from her exposed curves.

"A friend of mine? You're not exactly the good boy I believed you were, are you?" she replied with a playful smirk.

As a last resort to silence her once and for all, he took a bundle of notes out of his pocket and waved it under her nose. What he had in hands was about all that was left of his savings. "There. I just need your help to enter a club. You and your friend would have to look, huh, as natural as possible. Got it? Once inside, we go our separate way and you leave the club. Do you think you can do that?"

At the sight of the money, she froze and her cheerful face turned stern at once. She snatched the notes and hid them into the lacy bra her top could hardly cover. To Gohan's relief, her behavior also became somewhat more casual. "I'm Jade. See the girl over there with the red boots? That's Orchid. If you're okay with her, we'll follow you but the whole thing cannot last more than two hours."

Gohan looked at the brunette standing a few meters further. She was wearing a very tight dress which might do, he deemed. He nodded and the three of them went back to the entrance of the club.

The girls played the role perfectly. They walked on each of Gohan’s sides, holding arms, smiling and laughing like good friends. The bouncers were coaxed in the blink of an eye and they hardly glimpsed at Gohan when they allowed the group inside.

Once in the main hall of the club, Gohan let go of them. Before she walked away, Jade whispered in his ear. "If you change your mind about my first offer, you know where you can find me." Gohan didn't dare answer. He only smiled awkwardly and greeted her with a nod.

He took care to check that both girls left the place. He couldn't help but peek at their curves all the way to the exit of the club, though. He felt relieved when they were out of sight. If anything should go wrong, he'd like it better knowing they would be far away. They had a close look at him and they would be able to recognize him so he couldn't take the risk of somebody connecting them to what Gohan was about to do.

He peered at his watch. Fifteen minutes left. He ordered a drink and sat down at a table near the entrance of the main dancing room so that anyone getting into the club had to walk by him.

The weak light flashed and jittered to the music. Gohan melted into the shadow as much as possible while focusing on the faces of the customers arriving at the club. Yet, the dimness and the flow of people made it difficult to study all of them.

Then, all of a sudden, he made out filthy blond hair. The man on the picture was there among a group of four people. An elegant woman held him by the arm and another couple was with them. Gohan gulped down his drink in one go and stood up to walk in their wake like a cat hidden in twilight.

He followed them up to the floor where a quieter music was playing. The atmosphere was quite different there. The dance floor was smaller and the room was mostly arranged with sofas and coffee tables. At such hour, the place was almost deserted.

Gohan went to the bar and ordered a second drink while the target and his group sat down at a table a few meters away. He peeked at them and sighed in annoyance. At that moment, the elegant woman stood up and walked to him with determination.

Gohan's blood ran cold as he had the feeling that she had noticed him. He turned hastily back to the counter and lowered his head. She posted herself right next to him and gave him a glance. He was relieved when she addressed the barman. "Jesse!" she called.

The barman came to her with a smile. "Hi, Lisbeth. What's up? You guys want a bottle?"

"Yes, please. There are four of us. "

Gohan glimpsed aside as to watch her. She was about Bulma's age with a slim body vouching for the loving care she put into her appearance. Yet, her features betrayed a certain weariness underneath the neat make up. Gohan noted that the blush she'd spread on her skin wasn't quite enough to hide the purple bruise on her cheekbone. It matched a serious punch about two days old.

She gave the barman a handful of notes and went back to the table without a single look at Gohan.

Gohan resumed his discreet observation of the group by absently crunching his ice cubes. What he needed now was the target, alone in a deserted place. He had no idea about how to make that happen though and if he didn't force his luck he could as well spend the night waiting for an opportunity that would never come. Moreover, as time went by, the place would become more crowded and that would weaken his hope of having a clean job done.

Lisbeth stood up again and went away. Gohan peered at his watch once again. It had only been fifteen minutes since he was there but it felt like an hour. He was caught off guard when the target got up and left the table in turn. Alone.

Gohan finished his glass in one gulp and followed him from afar. He was glad that this target had no bodyguards. This would at least make things easier.

The guy made his way along a dim corridor and entered a swinging door. Gohan found it was the men's restroom. He stopped in front of the door and listened to the noise coming from inside. The place sounded deserted. He felt his adrenaline boiling in his veins by realizing that this might be his luck.

He cracked the swinging door open and scanned the restroom without stepping in. He could see each toilet cubicle and they were all free with ajar doors save for the furthest one. There was no one here except the target. Gohan gave a last peek at the corridor. There was definitely no one around.

He entered the restroom and took care to hold back the swinging door in order to close it silently. Then, he walked with bated breath to the only cubicle that was locked. He was startled on his way by a loud sigh echoing all of a sudden and he froze. That wasn't a male's voice. He crouched down to take a look through the gap at the bottom of the door in an attempt to figure out what was going on. At that instant, he grasped where "Lisbeth" had gone. If needed, repeated knocks resounded against the partition wall to let him know what the target was up to. Gohan repressed a curse and stepped back into the dark corridor.

He lit a cigarette and leaned his back against the wall in wait for the lovers to be done all by praying that no one would interrupt them. It was still early though and the customers were sparse upstairs.

He could hear the sex-making somewhat better than he wished but he had no other choice than spying for the end.

He remembered Sharp's suggestion about dressing differently to "get girls." He found the expression quite moronic to say the least. He couldn't help but visualize his friend chasing girls and trying to lasso them in order to prevent them from running away.

Despite what Sharp had said that day, girls mattered to Gohan though. He was different from the other teenagers on many points but when it was about girls, he was at least completely normal and truth was he would have loved to have a girlfriend. However, once again, it was something he couldn't afford. It would only be one more complication in his life. It would mean more lies - Lies about who he really was and lies about what he really did – and he didn't need more lies. All the lies composing his actual life were already heavy enough on his mind, even if they were absolutely necessary to have his world go round. Adding a girlfriend to that mess was sheer madness.

Maybe he should accept Jade's offer. Lies were the basis of the relationship with that kind of girl. Nobody would want to know anything and nobody would be disappointed. He shook off that thought with a shiver. He didn't consider himself that desperate yet, and he forbade himself from thinking that he would ever be.

As Lisbeth muffled moans were promising an impending end, he tried to figure out what it would feel like to be a normal boy. What would he be up to, then?

Erasa had caught his attention, of course. Everyone noticed Erasa. Everyone loved her too. She was always cheerful. She was also cute and sexy. However, Gohan had also noticed that Sharp was somehow acting jealous about her, so he assumed that his friend had his eyes on her. Gohan wondered if Sharp had any chance of success with the blonde girl.

Either way, Gohan wasn't interested in Erasa. If he were to pick up a girlfriend, he would try his luck with Videl without a second thought. Her beauty wasn't as bright as Erasa's but she was much more interesting to Gohan. This girl was a constant challenge. She was unpredictable and uncatchable and truth was she fascinated him. He liked it. Furthermore, thinking about it, her life had been built on a lie and it was something she had in common with him. Videl was smart and Gohan couldn't believe that she bought her father's glory as "the strongest man in the world". She had sharp instincts and she had likely understood for a long time that Satan was nothing but a cowardly weakling. That might not be something easy to live with and he wondered how she dealt with the situation.

Gohan's train of thoughts was interrupted by the sound of the tap turned on in the restroom. He flicked his cigarette out hastily and stepped back into the shadow, his eyes locked on the swinging door. Lisbeth opened it hesitantly. She glanced down the corridor without seeing him and walked back to the bar while adjusting her skirt.

As soon as she was far enough, Gohan entered the restroom. The filthy blonde haired guy had just come out of the cubicle and he was carelessly buckling his belt. He jostled Gohan absently and posted himself in front of the mirror. Then, he turned on the tap and began to wash his hands.

Gohan stood behind him and watched him through his reflection. Once again, it was time.

The guy ended up noticing Gohan's insistent stare through the mirror. "Do I know you?" he growled with a frown.

Gohan didn't answer. He stepped forward and in a split second, he grabbed the target's shoulder with his left hand while placing his right palm between his shoulder blades. The filthy blonde haired had barely time to gap. He raised his hand in a shy attempt to get rid of Gohan's grip but it was already too late. Gohan sent a blast of energy through his open palm and directly into his body. It was a very weak shot and yet, it was enough to blow up his heart and some other organs while leaving his clothes and skin hardly burnt.

The man grimaced and his eyes widened in bewilderment for the last time. He collapsed at once. Gohan held him back before he hit the ground. He lost no time and dragged the limp corpse back to the cubicle. He left the slumped body inside the toilets and closed the door.

Nobody was around yet but he wanted to gain himself some time to leave the club before somebody stumbled across the dead man.

He left the restroom and walked back to the bar. He met two giggling girls staggering to the women's restroom on his way. He moved aside to avoid drawing their attention. Yet, nobody paid him any mind all his way back to the exit of the club.

He found out that a thick mass was now packed outside the door. The bouncers were struggling to keep people at distance while some of them were bargaining for their authorization to get in. The situation was a blessing for Gohan. The bouncers were too busy to see him sneak out although a young man leaving a club so early in the night, alone, wasn't something natural. Gohan knew by experience that those guys were generally good observers and they remembered faces easily so he was always wary of their attention.

He went out unnoticed and kept walking without a single glance backwards. When he was far enough from the club, he pulled his chech and his denim jacket out of his bag and put them on. He urged to look as different as possible from the guy who'd entered the club with Jade and Orchid an hour earlier.

Then he flew off to Barney's place. He landed in the dark alleyway next to the bar and lit a cigarette at once. He stayed there for a moment, smoking silently while waiting for the beating of his heart to calm down. He couldn't prevent the man's grimacing face from flashing in his brain, the wince making his features even uglier than usual.

A cynical thought came to Gohan's mind as he pointed out that the guy still had a pleasant way to spend the last minutes of his life. Lisbeth would no longer need to apply tons of blush to hide bruises. Despite this comforting idea, Gohan felt slightly nauseated. He knew a beer should be enough to get rid of that feeling though. The main thing was that once again the target happened to be a nasty bastard. The rest didn't matter.

When he was done with his cigarette, he made his way to Barney's bar.

"Good night, Gohan," Barney greeted him with his usual good mood.

Gohan forced a smile on his face and walked to the counter. "Hey, Barney. Can you serve me a beer?"

"You look upset tonight, boy," Barney stated while pouring the beer.

Gohan didn't reply. He pulled out his cell and rested it on the bar instead.

"I bet it's about a girl again," the bartender mumbled knowingly.

Gohan repressed an amused grin. Barney would always see girls as the only possible cause of his concerns. Gohan wouldn't blame him though because Barney believed Gohan was a normal boy and girls would certainly have been his main concern if he had been a normal boy.

"It might be the reason why she's been waiting for you for about an hour," Barney added with a wink, his chin pointing at the back of the dining room.

Gohan looked up in puzzlement and turned around. Videl was sitting alone at a table, absorbed in the reading of a book. Three empty glasses and a cup were resting in front of her like witnesses of her long wait.

She hadn't seen him and Gohan had a second thought about whether he should go talk to her or leave at once. His musing was interrupted by Barney's hand on his arm. "Go see her, boy. Else, I'll tell her you're here," he said with a frown, as if he'd guessed Gohan's thoughts.

Gohan sighed in resignation. He grabbed his phone and his drink and walked over to Videl's table.

"Hey, Videl. Barney tells me you were waiting for me," he greeted her with a shy smile. As she looked up at him, he read some relief on her features. He sat down opposite her.

"How is your leg?" She asked by closing her book.

"It's fine, thanks. Are you worried?"

"Of course I am. I feel guilty," she shrugged.

"You don't have to. Everything's all right," he repeated in a comforting voice.

She stared at him for a moment with that look of hers – the one that made him feel awkward each time. Her crystalline eyes were locked on him and filled with a weird mix of admiration and roughness, as if she was trying to scan his soul.

"I don't have your phone number," she stated.

"I didn't give it to anyone. I hardly ever use my phone, you know. It's – well, you know just for emergencies," he grumbled with unease.

"I wanted to check how you were doing, so I went to your aunt's house. Your aunt Bulma Briefs," she resumed.

Gohan was startled by that. He regretted his reaction at once as she didn't miss his slight jump at her words.

"She told me you work as a waiter but she didn't know where. She looks like the cool type," Videl carried on.

"I can't deny that she is pretty cool," Gohan admitted with a nervous chuckle.

"So, where is it you work? I thought at once it could only be at Barney's but he told me you quit a long time ago. He told me he didn't know where I could find you."

Gohan sighed in annoyance. He took his time to sip his beer and wiped his lips with the back of his hand. Then, he gazed wordlessly at her. Unsurprisingly, she wouldn't content herself with an enigmatic silence. Her eyes told him that she was still waiting for an answer and it meant he had to make up a good story. Better than that, he had to figure out something really indisputable. Otherwise, she would keep seeking the truth and the situation would turn even worse.

Yet, the problem with Videl was that every answer he gave her would call for a new question and her questions were getting trickier each time, to say the least. He felt like a mouse believing each time that it was rid of the cat whereas the cat would always be back. "Truth is Barney fired me and – I didn't dare to tell my mother and aunt. Happy with that?" he grunted.

Videl leaned back and crossed her arms, likely mulling over Gohan's explanation. "Bulma Briefs isn't your aunt," she objected.

Gohan gritted his teeth at that. Damn, that girl was annoying. "It's true, she's not. Yet, our families are very close and I consider her as such. What the hell are you looking for, Videl? Why do you feel the need to stick your nose in my business? Is it something I did to you?"

He felt nervous and annoyed. He was aware that he was still on edge because of what he'd just done at the club and he was running short of patience.

However, Videl just blinked and remained unaffected at his harsh voice. She even smirked at him. "I hold the parts of a jigsaw puzzle in my hand so it's natural that I want to piece them up to figure out what hides behind. It's just that, Gohan. Why do you think I'd wish to harm you?"

"Bullshit. There's no puzzle. I'm just desperately normal and you bother me because you find it amusing to make me uncomfortable," Gohan hissed by lowering his head in order to escape her inquiring gaze. His reply was more aggressive than he'd intended. Meeting Videl at this very moment had caught him off guard and he hated being caught off guard.

Videl didn't look offended though. She leaned to him in an attempt to have him look up back at her. Getting no result, she ended up reaching out for his scarf. She pulled it gently to her forcing Gohan to raise his head. When he did so, she kept drawing the fabric until their faces stood very close to one another.

Gohan grabbed her hand to have her let go of him but he froze his gesture as he felt mesmerized by the pure blue of her orbs.

"Your scarf. It's a chech," she stated in a low voice.

He frowned wordlessly.

"It's something unmistakable. The fabric is very light," she noted again.

He unhooked her fingers of the scarf and backed slowly away from her. He didn't dare reply, waiting for the rest of her speech with bated breath.

"The guy who helped me at the bank was wearing the exact same scarf. On his face, that is," she concluded in a whisper.

Gohan's mouth was dry. His nerves were on fire. "So what? That guy is blonde with blue eyes and – damn, he can fly. And me... quite opposite as you can see," he growled while adjusting the chech back.

"That's right yet his scent is exactly the same as yours. That's pretty disturbing, isn't it?" she added.

"Are you a sniffer dog or something?" Gohan objected with a shrug.

"Maybe not, but he's definitely like you. See, he lost his canteen tickets just like you did. They all stayed in my hand when he flew away at the bank."

Gohan scowled. He hadn't seen it coming. He hadn't realized the hostage taking had been the moment when he'd lost those damn canteen tickets. He didn't reply, his eyes stubbornly glued to his beer. Videl stood still too.

The tense silence was interrupted by the frantic vibration of Gohan's phone on the table. He seized it hastily and grabbed his bag. M. was telling him where to get his money. He craved to leave and interrupt this terrible moment but Videl caught his wrist as he was about to get up. "Gohan," she called him pleadingly as if she wanted him to end their talk.

When he looked down at her, he had a second thought about what to do. His hesitation hardly lasted a split second though. "See you on Monday, Videl. If you have other twisted ideas like this one, keep them to yourself."

He read mix of sadness and anger in her eyes but he looked away and rushed out of the bar.


	7. Chapter 7

A raging rain was pouring, streaking the window with crushed droplets. Videl was absetnly studying their weird patterns while sitting alone at the huge meeting table. Someone had given her a cup of tea and she had been asked to wait in that empty room.

With nothing else to do, it didn’t take long for her mind to drift to Gohan as it always did of late. It had been about ten days since the race and their talk at Barney's and Videl hadn't dared any attempt to resume their discussion. She was still puzzled about how tense and aggressive Gohan had been last time they'd talked face to face at Barney's. He'd acted like an animal trapped by her questions and although she had behaved unaffected while facing his nervousness, truth was she dreaded his reaction now. Actually, she realized she feared losing him somehow.

It was a confusing feeling. Gohan didn't belong to her. They'd hardly known each other for a month and she wasn't very familiar with him to say the least. And yet, she was afraid that he would back away from her. It would be easy enough for him to ignore her or banish her from his world and this prospect oddly scared her.

Erasa claimed Videl was in love with him. Videl could only shrug at that. She had never been in love with anyone and, as far as she knew, no one had ever been in love with her either. As a matter of fact, she doubted that such feelings truly existed. Videl was the rational type and she regarded love as a sort of legend. Erasa was quite the opposite though and she was keen on anything hinting a cheesy romance. Videl was used to her friend's liking to imagine secret pairings all around and she hadn't taken her suggestion very seriously. Unexplainable feelings about Gohan would still plague her though.

When their classes had resumed the next Monday, he had been back to his usual self. He was the same shy newbie, awkward nerd and clueless countryman as ever. His behavior looked natural but Videl still wouldn't miss that he was nothing near the fearless Gohan driving the bike in the race or even the angry Gohan she had met at Barney's. So, even if he wouldn't confess it and even if it didn't match his attitude at school, Videl wouldn't give up to her strong belief that he was the Golden Ninja – or whatever name he was given.

Since Gohan wouldn't speak to her, she had decided to unmask him. The only problem was the Golden Ninja hadn't showed up again so far. During the previous weekend, Videl had been called once more to stop some brainless gangsters in a high-speed car chase with guns. She had hoped so hard to see him that she'd watched out for him the whole time and almost got shot. He hadn't come though. Maybe he wouldn't come anymore. Maybe Gohan felt her so close to the truth that he liked it better not to take any chances anymore. What she didn't understand was the reason for all these secrets. If Gohan was so strong, why would he hide his abilities? Why not act for people's sake like she did?

She had started to scribble randomly on a notepad in an attempt to soothe her nerves. The lead of the pen snapped all of a sudden, snatching her out of her meditation. She gave a deep sigh and put the pen down. She stretched and glanced at the door with the hope that someone would eventually come in. Yet, everything was still and quiet. All she could hear was a few muffled voices coming from the corridor. She peered at her watch.

Someone from the central police station had called her and asked her to take a look at some tricky business the police was investigating. Videl would receive such request once in a while. It was always about exciting cases and she loved working on them. Yet, it seemed that even her usual liking for this kind of things had faded. She couldn't refuse her help though, so she had come to the central police station today, missing her afternoon classes in the process. She had been waiting quietly so far, but truth was she wasn't exactly eager to know what their troubles were about and as time went by, her patience was wearing thin.

She rested her chin in her palm and her only obsession of the moment surged back in her brain. Bulma Briefs was another unexpected thing in Gohan's life. Videl couldn't figure out how his humble Eastern family had come to forge with the famous Heiress of West City a bound so string that Gohan would regard her as an aunt. By what unlikely chance had those two universes collided into one another, Videl had no clue.

She'd gone to the Capsule to clear that up. Gohan had been caught off guard by her move - she'd seen it in his eyes back at Barney's - and yet, she hadn't found out much there. Bulma Briefs had been cold at first when Videl rang her bell, but as soon as the name of Gohan had been mentioned, she had eased off in a way that told Videl Gohan had said the truth about her. Bulma Briefs knew him very well and considered him very close. The Heiress had no time to chat with Videl when they met. She'd just explained that Gohan was at work for the time being and that she didn't know where Videl could find him. Then, she'd suggested the girl to try her luck another night. All this fit Gohan's tale.

The door opened at last. "Sorry for the wait, Miss Satan," a guy with a mustache apologized at once.

Videl stared at four guys entering the meeting room and taking place with her at the table. The mustache, by far the oldest of them, seemed to be their boss. Videl had already met him but she couldn't remember the name. She didn't dare ask and just kept quiet.

He rested a thick file on the table and cleared his throat. "There you have the case we called you about. We assume it started a long time ago, but as a matter of fact, we're not totally sure," he explained with unease.

One of the cops stood up and set himself to pin a huge panel to the wall. Videl could see pictures scattered on the paper, all of them linked by arrows and writings.

"You know we have elections soon and the mayor would like us to clean the town a little bit. Yet – huh – we have serious troubles with local maffia struggling for control," the boss carried on while Videl was still trying to make out the content of the poster.

"Until now, it wasn't exactly a problem for us. I mean, it's quite common and as long as it's about family business, we don't really mind if the riffraff wages internal war. I'd say it's even quite helpful for us since it loosens their nets and it makes our job easier," the guy struggling with the thumbtacks added.

Videl blinked. She was somewhat bewildered. She was hardly ever asked to help on that kind of cases and she found them quite boring if truth to be told. Investigating on organized crime was closer to a real police work while she was more useful when it was about action. She turned to the mustache in wait for the rest.

"Yet, as things stand, the targets of the killings are more and more high ranked in the criminal organization and it calls each time for furious, bloody vendettas. The mayor doesn't like it. And neither do we," he stated.

"I understand. We have to stop these people," Videl approved sternly.

The cops glanced at each other hesitantly, but their boss resumed. "The trouble there is that we have all reasons to think that it's the same killer, no matter which organization the target belongs to. The guy has a unique way of proceeding and every time he's out, you can be sure he'll cope with an important person everybody thought unreachable. And each time, it triggers a hell of a mess."

"What's so special about your guy?" She asked.

The boss took a picture out of the file and handed it to. She watched it carefully. It was a man with drooping features and shaggy sideburns. She had never seen him before.

"Look at this one, for example. He'd been in the business for over twenty years. Illegal games, drug traffick, pimping - He'd made profit on about anything without getting himself dirty. He was called the Banker. He was a genius at laundering money and he would work for anyone as long as his commission was high enough. He was very useful to a lot of people," the Chief explained.

"How did he die?" Videl asked.

"Well, we're not exactly sure. He received what seemed to be a laser beam right in the head."

"A laser beam? Like in sci-fi movies?" she exclaimed in disbelief.

"Sort of. Nobody saw what it was nor heard anything. According to the witnesses, there was a flash falling from the sky and then the guy fell stone dead with a hole in the forehead."

The cop took another picture out of his brief and slid it to Videl. This time the man was much younger with an awful scar running down his face.

"This one is the latest one," the mustached man resumed, "All his internal organs have blown up while there wasn't a single bruise or broken bone to be found on him. He hardly had a slight burn between his shoulder blades. All this happened in a nightclub and once again, no one saw or heard anything. His wife had just talked to him and the next minute, he was nothing more than a corpse."

Videl could hear the growing frustration in the cop's voice as he was telling the story. He was sweating and turning a shade of crimson at the mere mention of the nothingness of each case.

"And that one, on a private beach, where he was walking his dog hardly two meters away from his bodyguard! And that one, in a fucking fitting room of a highly select luxury store!" he kept growling in repressed fury.

He ended up snatching a handful of pictures out of the file and photos of men flew over the table. Videl stared speechless at the clichés scattered in front of her. There were about fifteen of them.

The cop struggling with the panel had finally overcome the thumbtacks and, seeing his boss over the edge, he resumed. "In this kind of case, it's very difficult to find reliable witnesses, the victims being themselves disreputable people. Yet, if anyone had any ideas who did these killings, you can be sure the murderer would never be able to do it again. That's why we think no one knows him. Neither us nor the maffia."

Videl's eyes wandered across the many pictures of all those men killed in such mysterious circumstances. "But - what can I do to help you?" she finally asked with some puzzlement.

"We think that this killer doesn't belong to the criminal underworld. If so, his way of killing would be remarkable enough to have him pinpointed and neutralized a long time ago. According to our informants, some criminals even think the guy work for us. Our newest hypothesis is that it might be someone practicing Martial Arts."

Videl widened her eyes in astonishment. "Martial arts? But - I never met anyone able to do that kind of things. Even my father. And Martial Arts – As you know, we are taught straight principles about respect so it demands to stoop very low to use Martial Arts for such nasty things," she mumbled.

The cops' faces scowled at once around her. She perceived their disappointment and she couldn't help but feel sorry for them. She sighed. "Listen, your theory about a Martial Artist isn't very realistic. To me it looks more like the guy has a very special weapon causing these kind of damages. Whoever the killer is - huh, he's been very clever so far but I'm sure he'll end up making a mistake."

Before she was done speaking, one of the cops had gathered the pictures in order to put them back in the brief. The one standing up next to the wall took out all the thumbtacks and unhung the panel.

"Sorry for the waste of time, Miss Satan. We already studied the possibility of a weapon, but see, a weapon has to be built, reloaded, fixed, carried – In short it's noticeable. Yet, we have nothing. Something's wrong there," the boss replied in dejection while the other cops were busy packing their stuff.

Videl realized that they were in a hurry to go back to their work now that she had wiped out all their hope. She shook their hands and grabbed her bag. The interview had been so short she still had time to go back to school.

On her way back, her mind lingered on the cops' strange story but soon enough, her concern turned back to much personal matter. She had to cross the whole city to reach the high school and she prayed she would be in time to catch Erasa at the end of the classes and get a copy of her notes.

When she climbed down her craft in the school's parking lot, the bell claiming the end of the classes had just echoed. She ran to the entrance of the building both in fear of missing her friend and in an attempt to escape the nagging drizzle still pouring.

She had to make her way against the crowd as all the students were rushing to the exit. She stumbled across Erasa right at the door of their classroom.

"You're back already ?" her friend exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes, it didn't last very long. Can you give me your notes?" Videl panted.

Erasa smirked and skirted around Videl in order to make her way further down the corridor. "Ask Gohan. He's still inside. I'm in a hurry for my music class," she replied.

Videl frowned in disbelief as her friend was walking away from her. Glancing back over her shoulder, Erasa added, "As a matter of fact, Videl, you're pairing with him for the presentation in physics. You'll thank me later."

Videl gaped. By the time she found something to retort, Erasa was already gone and lost in the crowd. That girl was hopeless. Her fascination for romances would never fade and it gave her senseless ideas. Videl wondered how she'd made it to have Gohan picked as her partner for the presentation, but she assumed that it hadn't been a big deal for Erasa's twisted brain.

The classroom was almost deserted. She crossed Sharpener rushing out as she came in while Gohan was still standing at his desk and packing his books into his bag. She walked to him and he gave her a smile. "Hey, Videl. Did you skip school this afternoon?" he asked playfully.

"Not exactly. The police needed me. Nothing important. I was told we're pairing in physics."

"Right. Magnetism," he announced, his attention focused on the best way to sneak a last book into his bag.

Videl scowled. She hated physics. Gohan looked up at her with a satisfied grin though. "In other words, how opposites attract," he added with some amusement in his voice.

She just sighed. "It sounds inspiring to you. Great. Would you lend me your notes about the classes of this afternoon, so that I can copy them?"

"Sure. Let's go to the library," he suggested.

They struggled their way along the corridors through the restless mass of students, stuck between the flow of the happy ones who were done and hurrying to the exit and the stressed ones who had to reach the right room for their next class.

The library was deserted at this time. The photocopiers were settled in a separate room. It was empty when they entered it. Gohan rested his bag and took his notes out of his bag.

As he was sorting them out, Videl leaned against a machine. "So? How are we going to do this presentation? Do you want me to come to the Capsule?" she asked.

He seemed caught off guard by the suggestion. "Uh - No, hm, I’d better come to your place," he stammered.

Videl squinted at him. "Would your aunt mind if I came? I mean, she looked pretty cool –"

"Your home is closer to school," Gohan cut off, still focused on his papers.

Videl raised a skeptical eyebrow but she didn't insist. She grabbed the stack of notes Gohan was handing her and inserted it into a copier.

If it had been anyone else instead of Gohan, she would have assumed that he was forcing the choice of her place with the secret hope of meeting her father. Yet, Gohan didn't give a damn about Hercule and his fame. Videl had understood it from the first day of class. His true reason was more likely to keep her at distance from his universe as he always did. For some reason she felt hurt.

Despite the bothering noise of the copier, Gohan kept talking to her about the classes she'd missed in the afternoon. He sounded oddly enthusiastic. He was always fascinated by everything they were taught and Videl realized that he knew already everything he'd written down his notes without even reading them again. This guy was a learning machine. He understood and remembered anything at once. On this point, he was amazingly true to his reputation - A real nerd as Sharp liked to call him.

Videl was no longer listening to him though. His reluctance to let her come to the Capsule was still tearing her gut. "You should at least give me your phone number," she interrupted him.

Gohan paused and blinked. "Huh, I told you I don't use it very much. I never have it with me. I – I don't like these kinds of things," he replied sheepishly.

"Really? And yet, you looked very interested in those kinds of things the other night at Barney's," Videl pointed out.

Gohan kept quiet and his smile faded, giving way to a blank expression. Videl bit her lip. She'd never mentioned their talk at Barneys before but she couldn't hold it anymore and she was aware that the way she was doing it now was blunt. Her blood froze as she realized that Gohan was reacting exactly the way she'd dreaded. He was closing off and she hated it.

"I broke my phone," he stated after a while. "I have to get a new one but for now I have none."

Videl pressed her lips in annoyance. She didn't believe a single word of his excuse and his lie was more hurting than the rest. She even had the feeling that she was blushing. At that moment, an idea popped up in her mind. Something she'd never thought about before to explain Gohan's secretive behavior. It was so obvious. It matched everything. Gohan had a girlfriend.

The mysterious girl had been the one sending the signal he'd been nervously waiting for when they were talking at Barney's. Videl remembered how hastily he'd left after receiving the message. That girlfriend might also be the person he spent his night with when he was supposed to work as a waiter and she might also be the reason why he didn't want Videl to come to the Capsule or to have his phone number. Maybe he feared confusion and jealousy.

Videl had never considered this theory because she had always regarded Gohan as a goofy innocent nerd. However, Gohan had proved many times that he was nothing near what he seemed, so maybe he wasn't that naïve about girls, despite Sharp's strong belief.

A lump was forming in Videl's throat as she was clumsily collecting the copies the machine had spit out. Gohan was now back to their talk about magnetism but she couldn't focus on his words anymore. Right now, all she wanted was to yell at him that she didn't give a shit about physics. She could hardly bear him standing so close to her.

"Videl? Videl?" Gohan's voice brought her back to reality and she stared at him in puzzlement.

"How about Friday evening?" he asked.

She frowned, clueless about what he was talking about.

"I'll come to your place on Friday night to work on physics. Would that be okay for you?" he repeated.

"Fine with me," she mumbled while packing the copies into her bag.

"Do you want the references of –"

"I told you, it's fine!" she cut him off. She'd almost shouted the words in irritation.

She didn't wait for his reply and left in a hurry. She strode to the exit of the building. Something oppressing was urging her to rush out. As soon as she was outside, she was welcomed by a furious rain soaking her to the bones. It pressed her even more to run away up to the parking lot where she'd left her craft. Yet, when she reached her ship, she found herself unable to find her keys. She rummaged nervously through her bag but by doing so, she just dropped all of Gohan's notes on the damp ground. The papers were soaked in an instant.

She paused and considered the distressing sight for a while. Then, she suddenly sobbed. She couldn't even explain why she was crying but she needed it and since there was no one around, she did nothing to repress the tears.


	8. Chapter 8

Gohan peered at his watch with a sigh. As usual, Sharp was late. Fortunately, they were about fifteen minutes ahead of schedule. They had to report at the intendant's office for their monthly interviews and since they were summoned one after the other, they had decided to go there together. Gohan could hardly believe he'd been in high school for a whole month already.

He shifted from one leg to the other, shivering in the cool wind of the early fall.

Sharp had a date with his girlfriend and he was slow at coming back. Gohan had been bewildered at first that a date could be fixed inside the school. The place wasn't exactly the best choice to enjoy a romantic moment, to say the least. Yet, he had figured out that Sharp wasn't seeking anything romantic. His girlfriend and he were far beyond a poetic and platonic relationship. They were rather on a "hygienic" basis according to Sharp's own word. Their arrangement sounded somehow disturbing to Gohan and yet, he had to admit that it also made him curious. He knew the girl – cute and nice. She was in second year just like them but not in the same class. Sharp and her had a queer relationship and they wouldn't see each other outside the school. Sharp had told Gohan that her parents were the strict type and they would watch her closely. They'd never tolerate her dating a boy, especially a boy like Sharp.

Gohan felt numb and he ended up sitting on a bench. It was late afternoon and this area of the campus was completely deserted so he took the liberty of lighting up a cigarette. He took a drag and hid the glowing butt into his palm as a precaution in case someone would show up.

He smiled, thinking back to Sharp's girlfriend as he was realizing that the girl was lying to her parents as much as he was to Chichi. He did it for good reasons though. Nothing to do with pleasure.

Sharp eventually showed up through a side door of the building. He walked to Gohan and sat on the bench's backrest. "Do you really think it's the best moment to reek of cigarettes?" he lectured him.

"It depends whether one has my grades or yours," Gohan replied flatly.

Sharp cocked an eyebrow at that. "You're right. I don't have much to lose at this point. Gimme one. We still have time, don't we?"

Gohan nodded and handed his pack to him. "You're still late though," he pointed out.

"Gosh, I wasn't checking my watch. You'd figure that out if you tried dating a girl," Sharp shrugged.

"I don't have time for that," Gohan replied.

Sharp burst out of laugher and nearly choked on the smoke he had just dragged. Gohan rolled his eyes.

"Ain't that a typical loser's argument?" Sharp sneered. He gave Gohan a disturbing stare for a minute, then he resumed. "Okay, let me tell you I know someone with a crush on you. I'm ready to be the coolest guy ever since you helped me in Math so if you want, I can fix a date for you. What do you say?"

Gohan didn't answer. He gave his friend a questioning gaze, but in return, Sharp just smirked and patted his shoulder. "Nah... I know you have no time for that. Forget it."

"Tell me who," Gohan uttered.

"Who do you think?"

Gohan was thinking of Videl of course. However, it sounded highly unlikely that Sharp could ever boast about fixing up a date with Videl. She would never allow him to interfere in such private matters. Besides, Videl had turned quite distant in recent days. She looked sad and although she kept eating lunch with him, Sharp and Erasa, she hardly talked to Gohan. He oddly missed her nagging ways. She wouldn't act that way if she had the slightest crush on him though, so there was no chance Sharp could be talking about Videl.

"No clue," Gohan said, rolling his cigarette between his fingers.

"Angela. You know, that red-haired girl," Sharp blurted out.

Gohan needed to think for a minute before he could visualize the girl. He barely knew her. She didn't look very smart but she was indeed rather cute. If he'd had a normal life, then maybe…

He looked up at Sharp's knowing expression. At that moment, the whole talk made Gohan feel like a normal boy in a normal world. He would love to end it like it was supposed to end. Gohan would want to find out whether he liked the girl. He would accept his friend's wicked offer and Sharp would fix up a date. Gohan would go to the date, awkward and cursing himself for playing such a foolish game. The rest of the story would depend on many random details but he wouldn't need to fear anything or to keep control. He could just let life do its job.

Gohan flicked his butt harshly. "Drop it," he sighed with some sadness in the voice.

"What? Damn, she's not so bad. You can't deny it. God, Gohan, you should relax sometimes," Sharp frowned.

"Forget it, that's all. Now we're going to be late."

"You're so stuck-up. I don't get it," Sharp mumbled while taking a last drag on his cigarette.

Gohan felt piqued by his word. "You know what I don't get? I don't get that you pick up girls to screw them in the locker room while you're not even able to invite Erasa to do something nice with you."

Sharp pressed his lips together at the blow. "Don't try to teach me something you don't know yourself. Let's go now," he growled by getting up.

As always, mentioning Erasa had put an end to their discussion and it had been exactly what Gohan had been looking for. He repressed a sly smile and followed his friend.

They had to run across the wind-swept lawns of the campus in order to reach the intendant's office in time. They were panting as they entered the hallway but the secretary told them the intendant would be late.

They sat down in the hall where one of their classmates was already waiting. Since the secretary was watching them from the reception desk, none of them dared to speak. The three students were stiff and silent, trying to look as nice and polite as was expected of them in such place. Gohan unsealed a pack of mints and slipped some of them into Sharp's hand.

The door of the intendant's office opened. A girl came out with her eyes glued to the ground, while the name of their companion was called by the secretary. He rose and entered the office. When the door closed on him, everything went back to silence.

Lulled by the cozy stillness and the diffuse heat, Gohan's mind drifted to Videl. He had to go to her house tonight to work on their physics presentation. He'd had no intention of teaming up with her in the first place. In fact, he had instantly planned to work with Sharp. With, or rather without Sharp. Fact was Gohan had intended to do the job alone and then to make sure that Sharp would be able to spit out some basic notions to the teacher.

Gohan had never liked teaming up. He'd always felt uncomfortable about it. It meant that others would count on him and that he would have to rely on them. Even with his father or with Krillin, he'd always been bad at it, never feeling up to his partner. His father had always taken care of him, doing anything necessary to have Gohan exposed to minimum risk, and Gohan had just done what he was told to do when he was told to do it. Thinking about it, he'd been a bad partner and his father was dead now.

However, his plan to form a non-team with Sharp had been disturbed. As the teacher had been waiting for volunteers, Erasa had turned to Sharp. She'd winked and gestured at him to pair up with her. Sharp had been puzzled at first. Nobody ever asked to team up with him, at least not when it was about homework. As a matter of fact, it meant a fatefully low score. Yet, from her desk a few rows away, Erasa was giving him a begging look. Her eyes were so sparkling, so – There were no words. Gohan couldn't explain how girls could sometimes obtain anything they wanted. Regardless, Sharp and Erasa had been registered as a pair and it had been the end of Gohan's plan.

Then, he'd noticed that the number of students in the class was odd and he'd hoped that he might be allowed to work alone when all the pairs would be formed. He had lowered his head to go as unnoticed as possible and he'd waited for all the teams to be done. How moronic. He'd forgotten that Videl was missing.

The intendant's door opened again. The student that had been waiting with them stepped out and the secretary called Sharpener's name. Gohan had to repress a chuckle as she took great care to utter his first name. "James Sharpener". Sharp hated his first name. He used to say that hearing it spelled out always meant troubles ahead. He got up and pulled the hem of his jacket as to smooth it out. He was certainly more nervous than he would care to admit. He entered the office nonchalantly though and the door closed on him.

Gohan hadn't liked Sharp at first. He was a boaster with a big mouth. He liked to act like a brainless brute and he could be crude, if not hurting. He was also very concerned about his looks. Furthermore, Gohan was aware that he was nothing near the kind of guy Sharp would appreciate. If anything, the mocking way Sharp's friends would look at him proved him right. Gohan even suspected Sharp to tell them he was bullying the new nerd to have him make his homework and allow him to cheat during the tests. As a matter of fact, Gohan had first come to the conclusion that Sharp and he would never be more than class neighbors. However, they had been hanging around together for a month and Gohan had ended up appreciating his classmate. He'd realized that his behavior was somehow staged. The true Sharp was actually quite different. Now, Gohan would say that Sharp was the closest thing to a friend he had ever known.

He sighed as his thoughts went back to the presentation. Things would have been so much easier with Sharp. Gohan was happy to see Videl tonight nonetheless. She'd been behaving differently since that afternoon when she went to the cops but he hadn't dared ask her what their interview had been about. He assumed it was confidential anyway. Moreover, he didn't want to draw her attention. Their talk at Barney's had been stressful enough. Either way, she was somehow avoiding him now. Her oppressing interest for him had oddly faded away and he should feel relieved but for some reason, he was rather concerned instead. Thus, the prospect to spend some time with her cheered him up even if it was only about studying magnetism.

He was a little wary at the thought of her luxurious house and he dreaded to stumble across her whiner of a father but there had been no way he would invite her at the Capsule. Bulma had set up an outbuilding formerly housing the Nameks for him. Actually, it was more space and comfort than Gohan needed and he also had a separate access so that he wouldn't need to disturb anyone in the Briefs' home when he went in or out. Basically, he could invite whoever he wanted, whenever he wanted. Yet, Gohan was especially worried about Videl meeting Vegeta. Oddly enough, Gohan had more interactions with the Saiyan than he'd thought he would when he settled at the Capsule. He'd realized pretty soon that Vegeta had been looking forward to his removal as Gohan was indeed a training partner close at hand. Gohan had gladly accepted some sparring session with him already and he'd fathomed that his performance in the fight against Cell was still lingering in the Saiyan's memories. As a matter of fact, Vegeta hoped to gain some reassurance in their fights. His obsession for might would never die.

The prospect of Videl meeting Vegeta and talking to him was a dire one, to say the least. She was too nosy and he just didn't see the point in hiding any truth. The mix of both traits was a time bomb for Gohan's world.

Videl had reminded him that he needed a phone. He couldn't decently give the number of the phone he used for work. Sharp also mocked him about the fact that he couldn't be called. Phones happened to be such a natural way to communicate for teenagers that it was getting too weird for Gohan to have none. He knew he should take care of it as soon as possible.

"Gohan Son."

Gohan blinked at the call of his name and turned to the secretary. She was a bulky lady watching him with unaffected eyes. "Mr. Son, you didn't fall asleep, did you?"

Gohan stammered a confused apology and stood up. Sharp glanced at him knowingly as their paths crossed and Gohan entered the office. The whole room was furnished in varnished wood and thick carpets. There were books everywhere. The young man sat wordlessly on the chair in front of the intendant's desk.

The intendant was a scrawny old man. Since he was getting bald, he liked to comb back his greying hair in order to cover his shiny skull. His face was claiming his age and he was always dressed in corduroy suits adorned with a dark bow tie, which he certainly deemed distinguished. He also had a very special way of articulating each word to excess and it always made his speech sound weird, as if he was addressing morons. He was definitely the sort of guy to weigh every word he spelled though, and Gohan respected him deeply. He was in charge of half of the students in second year. He knew them from their first year and would follow them in their third. All together, it was about hundred students and Gohan had noticed with some amazement that he seemed to remember each of them perfectly. He would never misname anyone.

"Mr. Son."

The intendant almost chanted his name, his eyes glued to the file in front of him. He ended up looking up at Gohan and gave him a warm smile. "Are you getting accustomed to our school?"

"Perfectly, sir," the young man replied at once.

"I was said you never went to school before. Is that right?"

"It's true."

The man sighed and Gohan sensed a sort of disapproval in his reaction, but he didn't comment further on that topic. "You're up to your admission tests but since you never attended an official school, you still have to deal with some weaknesses."

"I'm aware of that," Gohan admitted meekly.

"Literature and sport. What's your problem with literature?"

Gohan pressed his lips and kept quiet. He couldn't tell the man literature was boring the hell out of him.

The intendant looked him in the eyes for a moment, then he resumed. "The world doesn't only go around a chain of scientific rules, Mr. Son. You need to learn to look beyond that. You need to read. What do you read?"

Gohan cocked a hopeless eyebrow. What did he read? He read his lessons, his school books, sometimes even magazines, but he was aware it wasn’t the expected answer.

The intendant mimicked his bewildered face in a mocking manner. "That's the problem," he stated. He rummaged through a drawer and pulled out a thick book. He laid it in front of Gohan in a snap. "Read this. We'll talk about it during our next interview," he ordered.

Gohan repressed a frown and thanked him politely while packing the book into his bag.

"What about sports now? You're also reluctant to sports, it seems. You're not the first one," the intendant resumed.

"I'm not – the physical type, sir," Gohan explained with unease. Truth was that he was trying so hard to numb his abilities during the sport classes that it had turned quite ridiculous. So ridiculous that the teacher was fed up with him.

"That's what you say. What your teacher says is that you're trying to fool him. And I'd say that you think that sport is pointless. Am I wrong?"

Gohan nodded weakly as he had no clue about what he could say.

"The body is as important as the mind. You know, you're really brilliant. If you keep going on like that and if you catch up in sport and literature, we plan to double your classes with the third year and maybe you could take the final exam with them."

Gohan was startled by the suggestion. He hadn't expected it. He would be done with high school in a single year. He'd already missed the first one, and he would be allowed to skip the third. He wasn't sure he liked to go so fast but, as always, adults seemed determined to push him forwards, always higher, always faster, always stronger. Chichi would faint out of pride and that would solve some money problems for sure but still, the idea bothered him.

"We're in no hurry for now. There's still nine months left. Just think about it and come back next month after reading the book," the intendant concluded.

"Yes, sir." Gohan got up and headed for the door.

The intendant called him back though. "Huh, and Mr. Son, I've been doing my job for thirty years so I'll take upon myself to give you a small piece of advice."

Gohan turned to him and listened sternly.

"You know what reeks even more than cigarettes? Cigarettes mixed with mints. I already explained that to Mr. Sharpener before you. Next time, I'd appreciate if you wouldn't take me for a fool. I invite you to join Mr. Sharpener in detention as to mull that over. Have a good day and see you next month."

"Yes, sir," Gohan muttered sheepishly before leaving the room.

As he stepped out of the intendants' building wondering where the detention rooms were, Gohan came across Sharp with his back leaning against the wall. He was smoking while seemingly waiting for him.

"So, Mr. Genius. Detention?" Sharp asked with a half-smile.

Gohan rubbed his head in confusion. "Yeah. And you must be crazy, smoking again. You just got caught. Do you want to be kicked out?"

"Keep cool. No one's lurking around at this hour. Beside I'm already sentenced to detention. It's not like I still have something to lose. Not to mention, the intendant keep yo for a while," Sharp shrugged.

Gohan couldn't help a smile. Sharp sounded so careless about authority sometimes. "It was cool of you to wait for me. I don't know where the detention rooms are. Maybe you know?"

"Of course. I always know where the detention rooms are. That's the perk of being my friend," Sharp chuckled.

They made their way lazily through the alleys running throughout the deserted campus. At some point, Gohan noticed huge trucks being unloaded and the sight puzzled him enough to stop and watch.

"They're starting the preparations for the Savior's Day," Sharp explained.

Gohan frowned. "The Savior's day? What's that? A sort of religious thing?"

Sharp gave him a disbelieving stare. "You really know nothing, do you?"

Gohan couldn't help but to blush as his question sounded so stupid to his friend.

Sharp didn't pay him further mind. "It's a big party here in high school," he resumed. "It's Hercule’s birthday. You still remember we're attending Satan High School, don't you?"

"How could I forget it?" Gohan grumbled. He'd just realized that his detention would cause him to be late to go to Videl's.


	9. Chapter 9

Wary of Videl's prying eyes, Gohan decided to land some blocks away from her place. Rain was pouring again, soaking him mercilessly, and he had to run the rest of the way while cursing under his breath. He was about an hour late and he'd had no means to warn her. Sharp's battery had died during detention and Gohan couldn't use M's phone to call Videl. He was very uncertain about the way she would welcome him now.

When he came up to the right house, the gate was open. He made his way through the garden and as he reached the entrance, he noticed that the front door was ajar as if someone was waiting for him. He hesitantly stepped forward and found himself face to face with Hercule standing in the doorway. As a matter of fact, the champion was about to go out. Behind him, Videl was standing in the hallway. Her eyes widened in disbelief when she saw Gohan.

Hercule frowned at him. "Erg, you're late, young man," he pointed out while clearing Gohan's way inside to get safe from the rain.

"I'm sorry. I had my appointment with the intendant and- well... it last longer than planned," he stammered.

"We thought you wouldn't come anymore," the champion mumbled in a disapproving voice as he closed the door.

Videl scowled at him and Gohan sensed her anger. "Do you want me to come back another time?" he offered sheepishly.

"Actually," Hercule resumed, "the maid is gone and, huh, I'm about to go out, so –" He sounded like he was debating with himself about the best answer to Gohan's question.

Gohan turned to him in wait for his decision, but Videl interrupted her father brusquely. "It's fine. You can stay. Dad, stop it. I don't need anyone to watch me. This is Gohan. Do you remember him? You met him when you came for your demonstration at school."

For the first time, Hercule looked up at their guest. He gaped out of realization. Despite his efforts to look natural, Gohan couldn't help but harden his face when their eyes met. He offered Satan a handshake though.

"Of course, I do," Hercule murmured while repressing a grunt of pain.

Gohan had squeezed his hand a little harder than necessary. It was a discreet and satisfying way to remind Satan who he really was. A gleam of wariness had kindled in the champion's eyes, and Gohan realized that the man was dreading to see his secret revealed. Hercule knew that the young man could do it in a split second, and worse, he could do it here, in his house, and under his daughter's eyes. He could knock him out in the blink of an eye and prove that Hercule had never been the strongest man in the world or anybody's savior.

Gohan liked the idea pretty well but obviously, he did nothing.

Videl perceived the silent conversation between her father and Gohan and she crossed her arms in an annoyed stance. "You're going to be late, Dad," she reminded.

The champion blinked as if dragged back to reality. "Right, honey. I have to go. I'd stay if I could but the mayor is a friend and you know I promised him to help him get re-elected."

"I know that already," Videl cut off. "Don’t worry, it's just a physics presentation."

Hercule eventually brought himself to leave the house with a last concerned glance at his daughter. He was obviously wary at the prospect to leave her alone the whole evening with that boy he didn't trust. If he'd predicted that he would show up, Satan would have asked the maid to stay.

When he was gone, Gohan turned to Videl with a sheepish face. "I was in detention with Sharp, we –"

"Whatever," Videl interrupted him while whirling around.

She walked away wordlessly and he had second thoughts before following her into the house. Her voice was cold and sharp and she didn't give a damn about why he was late. Gohan was hurt and concerned by her attitude. As a matter of fact, her unusual distance twisted his guts even more than her exhausting pushiness. For the first time, he wondered whether he had done or said anything to upset her.

The splendor of the house left him no time to think further. The luxury and refinement in each room took him aback. Being a close friend of Bulma, he'd already had a glimpse at the world of rich people, but the heiress of the Capsule stood as a very simple person in comparison with Hercule’s taste.

"Do you want something to drink?" Videl grumbled in an uncaring tone.

"That would be great," Gohan replied as he realized that he didn't even have time to have dinner.

The kitchen was huge, all marble and copper. Everything was shiny and immaculate. He felt impressed and couldn't help but study every nook.

"Soda. Is that okay?" Videl's voice snapped. She had already grabbed a bottle from the fridge without bothering for an answer. Then, she noticed his puzzled look and sighed in annoyance. "Earth to Gohan. Stop watching everything. We're not in a museum, just a kitchen," she grunted.

"Excuse me," he murmured when she handed him his drink.

As she made out the sorry shyness in his attitude, Videl couldn't prevent her mood from cooling. She was still angry at him, about all his lies and his secret girlfriend. He'd wounded her and she had decided that she would remain unresponsive to any warmness. Yet, her determination hardly resisted those sheepish eyes of his. "We didn’t always have this much money, you know," she explained. "When I was younger, it was quite the opposite. But, as you know, my father earned everything we have at the cost of great efforts and risks."

Gohan stared at her thoughtfully. He wondered if her speech was sincere or if she'd figured out her father's scam. She was so insightful when it was about Gohan's lies. Was it possible that she'd never suspected anything about Hercule’s?

Gohan's eyes wandered once again through the amazing kitchen. He should have been the one inviting her into such a splendid house. Chichi should be the one to enjoy such a modern kitchen to cook her tasty dishes. Things had turned out differently though. The Son family had never claimed the credit of Cell's death. They had just chosen to mourn Goku, while he had decided that the family would make it through much easier without him. So, there they were and it was too late for sorrows or bitterness. Even too late to think about going back or to blame Hercule and Videl.

"I know the story," he replied.

She nodded. "Good. So, let's go to work and stop gaping at everything." Her voice was brusque again and he shivered at the sound.

He followed her wordlessly through the house and up to what seemed to be Videl's office. The atmosphere in this room was somewhat warmer and less sophisticated than in the rest of the house. The place was still spacious and modern though. Gohan couldn't help but compare it to his own "office", also known as the wooden table stuck between his wardrobe and the window of his bedroom.

He found out with some surprise that Videl had already done some research about their work. Truth to be told, Gohan was already able to spell out the whole presentation on his own. For some reason, sciences sounded so familiar to him that his mind dealt with them completely naturally. Rereading his notes and consulting some books at the library had been enough for his brain to grasp all the necessary knowledge and shape the basis of a complete presentation. This was why the teachers liked to say he was brilliant. Well, that was the way they named it. Gohan just knew things were like that and he had no credit in that weird ability. As a matter of fact, he regarded it as a curse sometimes - Just like his gift for fighting, which had forced him to stand on the front line of the biggest of his father's battles. It was the very same ability that caused the entire world to spin around him when he was only a child.

Thus, he was willing to appear as a normal student. Videl mustn't suspect that he already knew everything about their presentation, so he just took out the books he had found at the library and they went to work.

Videl had always found it hard to cope with physics but she did her best to hide that detail. Teaming up with Gohan made her feel uncomfortable and she still cursed Erasa for setting it all up.

First of all, she was well aware of Gohan's genius and she'd rather die than hint that she wasn’t up to his brain. That was the reason why she'd studied the topic beforehand. The result was nothing near Gohan's knowledge but she refused to sound stupid to him.

Now, beside that matter of pride, she had to deal with the necessity to stay relaxed and focused while sitting next to him and reading the same books as him. That was a very special torture. She avoided looking at him as much as possible, her eyes always locked on their notes, but even so his scent was overwhelming. It was the very same scent she'd smelt on the stranger at the hostage taking, she was sure of that.

To add to her unease, his voice would trouble her at times, reminding her that' he'd already understood all the obscure things she was struggling to fathom. Despite her efforts to have no eye contact with him, he was everywhere and it was getting on her nerves.

She slowly realized how much he impacted her mood, just by sitting by her side. Rather oddly she wished him both to vanish and to never leave and thus, deep down her mind she had to admit that Erasa was maybe right. Maybe Videl was in love with him. How embarrassing was that?

When Videl had figured out a few days before that Gohan had a girlfriend, she had decided that it would be best to stay away from him - except of course if it was about unmasking the Golden Ninja. Yet, that was something easier said than done as she was enduring the restlessness of her mind begging her to get closer to him. Her self-esteem on the other hand wouldn't bear such indignity and Videl found herself stuck in a mighty whirlpool of feelings, struggling over the best decisions to make.

Her pride had always prevailed so far and she kept regarding her attraction for Gohan as a form of strong curiosity that would end up fading away. However, sitting a few inches from him, she was getting unsure and all her convictions were cracking. She was successful at hiding her doubts though and she managed to look focused on physics and act distant.

Meanwhile, Gohan kept pretending to discover magnetism. He waited for her to understand at her own pace. Yet, without knowing it, he sometimes corrected her, just like a teacher would have done and thus, he unwillingly unveiled the knowledge he was not supposed to have. He felt Videl was nervous and tense but he didn't understand the reason.

After about two hours, they were done with their work. Videl finished noting the last ideas while Gohan stretched out with a yawn.

"You already knew everything, didn't you?" she grumbled, still focused on her writing.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" he replied in bewilderment.

"About magnetism, what else? You didn't learn anything tonight and I'm pretty sure you already had an idea of how our presentation should be like when you came," she stated coldly.

He bit his lips. "Of course not. Why would you say that?"

"Because I'm getting to know you, or at least a little bit," she replied, looking up at him for the first time.

Anger flared again in her eyes and Gohan stared at her with some sadness. "Videl – Is something wrong with you? It's like you're not the same anymore since that day you went to the police. Tell me what it's about. Maybe I can do something to help."

She froze. Rage washed over her although she couldn't say why. Eventually, things were getting out of control. "You're a liar, Gohan Son. A huge liar! That's what's wrong," she spat bitterly.

He gaped in astonishment. "What? What- What did I do?"

His face was again the puzzled, innocent one and she couldn't take it anymore. "Liar! You're trying to have me believe we just did that work together while you did it on your own – Lie. You're trying to have us believe that you're a poor weakling while you're able to punch my father out all by pretending it's an accident – Lie. You try to have me believe that you are not the Golden Ninja and you are - yet another lie! And above all, you try to have me believe…"

_That there is something special between us, and there is nothing since you already have a girlfriend._ She broke off abruptly and ended her sentence mentally, shocked that she'd been so close to saying it aloud.

Gohan kept silent. Videl had just summed up his whole existence. He was an excellent fighter and pretended to be a creep in sports, a guy who was bullied by Sharp. He had saved the world and pretended to be a great admirer of Hercule. He was the Golden Ninja and pretended to be a simple student. Most of all, he was a professional killer and he pretended to be a good son to his mother and a hero to Videl. He was a liar every minute of his life. He was a freak craving for a normal life. He lowered his eyes and sighed. "Erasa, Sharp and you are my only friends. I'll never do anything to hurt you, you can believe me," he replied softly. "Before I came to school, before I met you…"

He interrupted himself. Videl felt he was going to confess something. For the first time since she knew him, she sensed his walls cracking down. She shut up and stared at him in hope. When he looked up, she saw a face she'd never seen before. It was a mix of calm and sincerity.

He had a weak smile as he found out that the anger in her eyes was gone. "Before I met you, I never felt like I was really myself. It's like, huh, I can't explain. What you say is true, I understand and remember all the things that are taught to us the minute the teacher explain it. I can't help it but I don't want you to regard me as a freak for that because when I'm at school or even the other night when we went to ride bikes, I felt so good with you. It's a sort of carelessness I never knew, as if I just have to enjoy my time and be myself. You are my only friends."

Videl's eyes widened. She didn't expect that kind of speech. It sounded like Gohan was a hundred years old. However, she couldn't deny the authenticity resounding in his words. "Your only friends?"

He rubbed awkwardly his head and lowered his eyes again. "I know. It sounds weird and somewhat freaky. We've only known each other for a month and you certainly think I'm a weirdo, but save for my family and my parents' friends, I never had any real bonds with anyone. Well, maybe a dinosaur or two."

She beamed softly. Contrary to what he thought, it had nothing to do with his humor though. She smiled because of what he said. _I never had any real bonds with anyone_. It could only mean that there was no girlfriend in his life. Her twisted mind had made up the whole story. An unexpected relief washed over her. It was like a rock had been crushing her heart for the whole week and Gohan had just removed it by wording his true feelings.

Gohan couldn't explain why he'd confessed so much to her. Words had spilled out in a rush when he'd perceived the anger in her eyes. Hearing her call him a liar with such ferocity and with such trueness had scared him and he'd somehow lost control. He'd believed he was about to lose her. She had seen through him. She had glimpsed at his darkness and she'd felt betrayed. Gohan had been panic stricken at the thought that she would end their friendship once and for all and something in his mind screamed that he had to let her know how much he needed her.

As her features eased off, he was overwhelmed with glee. He felt like hugging her as if he hadn't seen her in a very long time. Yet, instead of that, his stomach gurgled loudly. He pressed a hand on his belly in an attempt to silence it.

"Sorry, I didn't eat anything tonight," he explained shamefully.

She burst out in laugher and it sounded wonderful to his ears. "Pack your stuff and join me in the kitchen, I'll make you a sandwich before you leave," she offered.

He did as he was told and when he entered the kitchen, he didn't miss that she was no longer cold and annoyed like she'd been the whole night. She looked uncomfortable though. He felt awkward too as he was embarrassed for having spoken up about his feelings. Maybe it was just because he wasn't used to telling the truth but still, he was trying to forget how pathetic he'd sounded. He had never been so honest with anyone and Videl might be the worst person to confess anything to.

They kept quiet until she was done fixing the sandwich. He didn't dare point out that it would never be enough to fill his stomach. He grabbed the sandwich and claimed that he had to go. She looked at him with some surprise, but she didn't object and walked him to the door.

As he was about to leave, she grabbed him by the wrist and held him back. "Gohan."

He looked down at her, waiting for her to say something.

"Never mind. See you on Monday," she just sighed.

He nodded and gave her a soft smile. "See you on Monday, Videl."

As soon as he was out of her sight, he rocketed to the sky and headed to the Capsule. He needed to get some stuff before flying back to Mount Paozu. He landed in Bulma's garden and made his way for his house.

He got startled as he made out Vegeta's figure standing in the shadow next to his door. "Aren't you supposed to be at work?" the Saiyan asked.

"God, Vegeta, you scared me! What the hell are you doing here at this hour?" Gohan exclaimed.

"I live here. What about you? Aren't you supposed to be serving pathetic weaklings?" Vegeta replied with an unaffected face.

"I – huh - I left earlier tonight," Gohan mumbled.

"Did you? You work very irregular hours."

Gohan frowned in annoyance. "What do you want? Are you spying on me?"

"Spying on you? What the hell could be so interesting in a kid's life like yours? You train so little that you get startled by anyone hiding in the shadows," Vegeta huffed.

"Oh, training. So, that's what you want. Listen, I'm exhausted and I have to go back to my mother's right now. So no thank you, no training tonight," Gohan sighed.

"I know you wouldn't train tonight. It wasn't the reason why I came. I came to remind you to be on your guard and as much as I can see, I did well."

"On my guard? Why should I be on my guard?" Gohan asked. "We're in peace and I go to high school, so what should I be aware of?"

The Saiyan glared at him. "You really don't see? Too bad for you," he growled as he walked away, leaving him behind.

Gohan frown went deeper while watching him head for the Capsule's main building. He rolled his eyes and decided that the best thing to do was to forget Vegeta and his freaky behavior. Best was to think back of Videl actually.


	10. Chapter 10

Gohan was sitting on the bench behind the gym. It was an isolated area of the campus, overlooking a huge lawn with a few trees. Despite the cold breeze the young man enjoyed the peace of the place and the greenery all around reminded him of the nature he was missing since he lived in town. Having some time off between classes, he had decided to come here and read the book the intendant had given to him. Everything had been quiet so far but he could sense Sharp approaching.

"Still reading? What's that book anyway?" the boy asked as he sat next to Gohan.

Gohan shrugged. "A story about a whale*. Weird – Aren't you supposed to attend your support classes by the way?" he replied while grudgingly moving away to leave some space for his friend.

"Support classes? I guess I forgot that," Sharp mumbled.

Gohan eventually unlocked his eyes from his book and looked up at him. Sharp was busy rolling a cigarette. Gohan sighed. "You'll end up being kicked out of the school, Sharp."

"Don't worry, man. They wouldn’t want to miss out on my mother’s dough," Sharp growled, still focused on his task.

Gohan didn't answer but Sharp looked up at him with a smirk. "She pays well to have people raise her kid in her place. Trust me. She has seventeen years of experience. Well, sure enough, the price gets higher each year," he chuckled, running his tongue on the paper.

Sharp never mentioned his mother in a sentence if it wasn't also about money. Anyone would think it was a way to rub his money in people's face. Gohan knew better though and he had long figured out that it was mostly because paying bills seemed the only parental duty Sharp's mother was able to fulfill properly. "Will she be at the Savior's ceremony?" Gohan asked out of curiosity.

Sharp sneered. "Sure. My step-father is campaignin the mayor's election so needless to say they won't miss an opportunity to show off as good parents. What about yours? Will they come?"

"My mother won't be able to travel so far."

"And your father? Are they divorced?" Sharp asked absently.

"My father's dead."

Sharp gave him a side glance and frowned in confusion. "Shit. Sorry for that, I didn't know."

"Talking about it won’t change a thing," Gohan said flatly.

As a matter of fact, Sharp and him scarcely mentioned their parents. Gohan was too reserved for that and Sharp seemed to hate the topic.

Erasa had told Gohan that Sharp's father was a famous musician – although Gohan had obviously never heard about him. He'd left Sharp's mother just after their son's birth and he spent most of his time on tour all over the world, each place with a different girl. The main thing he ever did for Sharp was pay senseless allowances while Sharp's mother would ask for more money each time he'd release a successful album. Sharp hardly saw him once a year.

Sharp's mother was a very beautiful woman according to Erasa. She had remarried very quickly with an influential businessman. In the middle of that mess, Sharp had been raised by successive nannies and later on, he had gone to some renowned boarding schools. All of them had sent him back to his mother with some despair until Satan Middle School had accepted him.

"And what about the ball after the ceremony? I hope you'll be there, won't you?" Sharp resumed as he lit up the cigarette.

"I don't know," Gohan mumbled absently while going back to his book.

Sharp slammed his palm on the page he was reading to get his attention back and Gohan looked up in amazement.

"Hey! Forget your book for a minute, will you? You can't miss the party," Sharp claimed.

Gohan raised his eyebrows in disbelief. "Can't I?"

"Good God, Gohan, you're going to die a virgin or a hermit, or both! Just let go!" Sharp exclaimed by rolling his eyes.

Gohan smiled and closed his book. Sharp's overdone indignation amused him. He was definitely theatrical sometimes and it was part of his charisma. "So, how do you say we avoid a disaster like that?" Gohan asked.

Sharp smirked at the question. "First of all, you have to find a girl to go with you. Angela - Well, it's too late now. She's dating a guy in third year. You're too slow, man."

Gohan shrugged. "Too bad, then."

Yet, Sharp wouldn't give up so easily and he bit his lips while mulling over the issue.

"Maybe I could go with Videl, what do you think?" Gohan offered.

Sharp raised his eyebrows. "Videl?"

"Yeah, why not? I don't know any other girl here anyway. I mean, save for Erasa but you wouldn't like it if I'd go with her, would you?"

Sharp looked down and frowned. "Erasa is going with a third year too, but – Videl?" He paused and a smirk stretched his lips. "Of course. How didn't I see that before? You have a crush on Videl." he declared.

Gohan was caught off guard by the statement. "Of course not! Why would you say that? We're just looking for a girl so that I can go to this party, that's all. It would be best if I knew her and it's not like we have much choice."

Sharp nodded knowingly and Gohan realized his friend wouldn't buy his explanation. Sharp's moronic face was definitely getting on his nerves. "I told you already that I'm not looking for a girlfriend and that's the point of going with Videl. At least things will be clear with her. We're only friends. So, drop that idiotic smile from your face and stop believing that everyone is as perverted as you," Gohan insisted.

Sharp chuckled. "When I hear you talk like that, I really get the feeling that you've spent your whole life in a cave," he mocked him. "Of course, everyone here is as perverted as I am, but not everyone will admit it openly, that's all."

Gohan sighed in weariness. "Whatever. Forget it. I won't ask Videl and I won't go to that party. I don't feel like being shamed the whole night by your crude jokes."

Sharp's smile faded at once and he gave Gohan a pleading stare. "Don't let me down, please. Come. Invite Videl if you want. I swear I'll be a gentleman. I’ll keep my mouth shut about that crush of yours, I promise."

Sharp pressed his palm on his heart and raised his other hand as if swearing an oath. Gohan just shrugged. He was well aware that such a pledge couldn't be worth much in his friend's mind, especially if there were beers at the party.

Sharp pursed his lips at this disbelieving silence. He took a drag of his cigarette thoughtfully, then he resumed. "If you don't do it for me, do it for Videl then."

Gohan gave him a questioning gaze and Sharp couldn't help a smile. "True. Nobody ever dares to invite her save for some stupid boaster. Being the savior's daughter isn't always a bed of roses," he added.

Gohan stared at him in disbelief. He was hesitant to trust him. Sharp leaned toward him and carried on in a low voice as if disclosing a secret. "Last year, Erasa nagged at me so much that I had to put off my girlfriend to go to the ball with Videl instead. No kidding, our poor Videl has a hard time dealing with guys."

With that, he laughed coarsely. Gohan frowned. If Videl had been there, she would doubtlessly punch him right in the nose both for telling this story and for laughing about it. Gohan knew that Sharp wasn't a mean guy. He liked Videl and she was his friend but, he would always laugh at anything implying boys bonding with girls. As a matter of fact, he would always laugh at anything sensitive - anything that wasn't supposed to be funny.

"All right," Gohan snapped as a way to cut off the joke. "I'll invite her. We'll all go together."

"It'll be cool," Sharp sighed with satisfaction.

"If they don’t kick you out, that is," Gohan added.

Gohan leaned against the backrest of the bench and looked up at the sky. He'd just done exactly what he had sworn not to do. Before Sharp mentioned Savior's Day, Gohan hadn't even mulled over the possibility to go to this ball. His mind had put this event aside; he wasn't concerned by it. It felt as if he wasn't even invited. Gohan was well aware that these kinds of things –Savior's Day, his life at school and even his little talks with Sharp – would create the confusing decoy that he was an ordinary boy. All these little things were bonding him to a world he couldn't fit in and yet, he tended to get used to its soothing carefreeness.

He had to remember that he was only attending high school in order to pass the final exam. If everything worked out, he should be able to do it at the end of the year. In the meantime, he should keep his distance from that attractive world though. It was a rule difficult to keep in mind and going to Savior's Day wasn't going to help.

Of late, the only moments when he couldn't forget who he was were at night. Nights were always filled with dreams of a wincing face with a filthy blond hair or of a screaming pin-up in fur splattered with blood.

Above the two boys, the blue of the sky couldn't get rid of the few clouds lurking around, each one chasing the other. Before he knew it, Gohan was trying to make out familiar shapes in the clouds. The wind was moving them around and transforming them, but they would never look like anything else than mere clouds.

"Ain't that my friend Gohan?" a nasal voice exclaimed, snatching him out of his contemplation.

Sharp and Gohan cringed at once as they found out a group of three boys was walking to them. Gohan recognized Sharp's friends. The one who'd called him was named Joon. He was taller than Sharp and as muscular as him. Gohan hardly knew him as the guy would only gave him wordless and scornful glances each time they met. Gohan had no doubt that the greeting he'd just been addressed was nothing near friendly and he didn't bother answering.

Joon resumed while coming closer to him. "I was told that you were pretty good at writing assignments and that kind of shit."

"Maybe," Gohan replied.

"I hope you're at least better at that than at choosing your clothes because I need you to do me a small favor," Joon stated causing his friends to laugh.

"Let him be, Joon," Sharp muttered in annoyance.

"Don't worry, Sharp. I'm not going to cling to him. I just have a very boring assignment to do and the teacher is kinda bustin’ my ass about it, so I thought about my friend from the countryside. Huh Son? What do you say?" Joon replied.

"I don't write assignments for anyone," Gohan said calmly.

"Don't you? Then you’ve got plenty of time to do mine," Joon snarled while stepping closer in a threatening stance.

Gohan and Sharp were still sitting on the bench. They instinctively stood up in one motion to be at Joon’s level.

"Stop your show, now," Sharp hissed while throwing his cigarette away and positioning himself between Gohan and Joon.

Joon glared at him with a smirk. "What's going on Sharp? Are you afraid for your girlfriend?"

He had hardly enough time to finish his sentence. Sharp punched him and Joon fell backward out of surprise. Gohan didn't move but his eyes shifted immediately to Joon's friends. They were watching the events in disbelief and Gohan realized that no one had expected Sharp's reaction.

Joon sat up in a jerk and kicked Sharp's ankle causing him to lose his balance and stumble down on the ground. "You're nuts, Sharp! You're dead," Joon barked in anger as he pounced on him.

Gohan contemplated the two guys fighting on the ground for a moment. He should step in. It would have been so easy. Joon's movements looked so slow and so messy that Gohan would have stopped him in a heartbeat. Yet, he dreaded underestimating his strength. He'd never fought normal people. Besides, he wasn't supposed to be violent here. Sharp seemed to be doing well, either way.

However, Joon's friends were getting closer to them and the prospect of a general brawl became unavoidable to Gohan.

"Are you all crazy? Stop that now!" A voice yelled all of a sudden.

Looking up in astonishment, Gohan found out Videl had just showed up through the back door of the gym. Her command stopped Joon's buddies, unwilling to cope with her. Yet, Sharp and Joon kept fighting like dogs in the dust. They were spitting fierce insults and furious threats while punching each other.

"Sharpener! Joon!" The voice of a supervisor took over from behind Videl.

The man was heading their way and this time, the order had immediate effect. The two boys parted brutally and struggled to their feet. Joon had a dirty swollen eye and Sharp's nose and mouth were dripping blood. He wiped them roughly on the back of his sleeves while eyeing the supervisor.

The man glared at them in disapproval. "James Sharpener, aren't you supposed to be in support class?" he asked sternly.

"Maybe, sir," Sharp admitted halfheartedly. His face was still blushed in anger and Gohan felt he had a hard time soothing his fury. Actually he was hardly able to hide his annoyance at the interruption.

The supervisor stood in front of Joon and grabbed his chin between his fingers to study his wounded eye. "Joon, medical bay. After that, I want to see you in the general supervisor's office," he claimed.

Then, he turned to Sharp still wiping his blood with a tissue he'd found in his pocket. He looked in quite better shape than his opponent. "Sharpener-"

"Yeah, I know the tune. General supervisor, huh?" Sharpener cut off in a growl.

The supervisor gave him an annoyed stare. "No. As for you, you'll go directly to your intendant. Now. All the others, I want you back to whatever you were up to," he ordered.

Videl and Gohan cringed. Sharpener was granted a special sentence and that was no good. In addition to fighting, he was skipping support classes so it might make his case somewhat more serious. Meeting the intendant save for the monthly interview was never a good omen.

"Sir!" Gohan protested.

"Mind your own business, Mr. Son. I don't want to see you around anymore," the supervisor broke off.

Gohan insisted. "But, it's Joon. He –"

"I told you, I'm not interested in what you have to say. You should go to the library instead of hanging around since it seems you can't stay away from trouble," the supervisor snapped again.

Gohan wanted to plead further for Sharp's sake but Videl grabbed his sleeve as a way to tell him to shut up. Joon and his friends were already gone while Sharp had picked up his belongings. Gohan and Videl watched him head wordlessly to the intendants' building under the supervisor's escort.

"We still have a good half hour before our next class. We'll wait for him over there," Videl suggested in a low voice.

They reached the intendant's building through a separate path, and sat themselves down on the steps leading to the entrance so that they could meet Sharp when he got out.

"God, what happened with this guy? I thought he was Sharp's friend," Videl hissed.

Gohan had a second thought before answering. He felt guilty of what had happened. He hadn't considered a single minute that Sharp would step in for him and react that way to Joon's mockery. Gohan was aware that the situation had been somewhat dangerous, given he was supposed to be a nerd with no skill for fight but he had never wanted things to turn out this way. Everything had gone too fast. "That guy – Joon – he threatened me. He wanted me to write an assignment for him and Sharp – huh, he just wanted him to calm down," he explained sheepishly.

Videl frowned and stared at him in disbelief. Gohan could read the disapproval in her eyes. He assumed that she still believed that he was the "golden ninja" and since he was able to withstand a burst of machine guns, he might have dealt pretty well with a prick like Joon. When she spoke at least he expected her to blame him for having Sharp believe that he couldn't make it through without his help. "Sharp is a moron," she just stated.

Gohan looked down in embarrassment. What Videl said wasn't fair. Sharp wasn't a moron. Gohan had lured him like he always did.

Videl seemed to read his mind and she resumed. "He's a moron because he told everyone that he had you write down his assignments and that was why Joon came to you in the first place. Don't be mad at him. Sharp likes to show off but he never thinks about the consequences. He's also a moron for believing you needed his help though."

Gohan kept quiet and lowered his head. What could he say?

A wild wind was gathering the clouds and darkening the blue sky little by little as they sat silently for a while.

"Either way, I hope he won't be kicked out," Gohan eventually sighed.

"I don't know. I don't think so. His mother is quite influential, but meeting the intendant is still a bad sign, not to mention Sharp spends his time skipping his support classes, getting caught smoking on campus and a bunch of other craps. He's kind of exhausting,” Videl replied.

She sighed thoughtfully and turned to Gohan. "You know what? You should help him a little."

"Me?" Gohan repeated in disbelief.

"Yes. I noticed he likes you somehow. I've known him for a long time. He doesn't listen to anyone. You should give it a try. You know, like trying to avoid him getting into trouble and to have him focus a bit more on his classes. You owe him that a bit, don't you?"

Gohan mused over Videl's suggestion and shrugged. "Maybe. I'm not sure he would listen to me. What do you think they'll do to him now?"

Videl had an amused smile. "I think that the worst punishment for him would be to be banned from the Savior's ball. He loves these kinds of parties so much. Now, since his mother and stepfather are supposed to come to the ceremony, I guess the school wouldn't like to miss such a great opportunity for publicity."

Gohan was relieved to learn that the sentence couldn't be more serious than the meaningless decision to forbid Sharp to attend Savior's Day. If truth to be told, Gohan didn't only feel guilty about Sharp's trouble, he was also somewhat afraid. He was realizing that if Sharp was to be kicked out of the school, they would probably stop seeing each other and Gohan disliked the idea. Videl's explanation reminded him of the talk he had with Sharp. "Speaking of that Savior's Day, would you like to go to the ball with me?" he asked.

Videl flinched. As Gohan looked up at her his features were so innocent that she had a second thought about the true meaning behind his offer. Regardless, she knew at once that she would accept. First of all she was craving for it, but furthermore she had no will to attend the ball alone or once again with a boring partner. "Of course. No problem," she murmured shyly.

The door behind them slammed open and Sharp surged out of the building with a scowl. His lip was split and slightly swollen. He stopped on the porch as his two friends stood up at once, staring eagerly at him. "So?" Gohan asked impatiently.

"Three days of suspension and a week of chores. I can live with that. My mother will be glad – she's been asked to come meet the intendant too," Sharp declared.

Gohan and Videl heaved a sigh of relief in unison.

Sharp's wounded lips twitched into a smirk as he looked at Gohan. "You'll have to be aware of these three morons though. You and I are in their crosshairs from now on. Too bad we were interrupted, I was doing good."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * The book Gohan is reading is Moby Dick by Herman Melville


	11. Chapter 11

The silence was broken by a thrill beep snatching Gohan out of his reflection. The stillness of the studious students was disturbed at once. They stirred and whispers echoed in the classroom. The teacher gave Videl a disapproving glance and turned to the rest of the class. "Quiet!" he ordered.

Videl had picked up her phone to stop the terrible ringing. She mumbled something to the person on the line. Her classmates were staring at her and despite the calls to order of the teacher they wouldn't go back to work as they were waiting to know what the call was about.

Videl eventually hung up and stood up. "Sir, an awful fire is going on in the southern district," she announced.

"There is also a Math test going on here, Miss Satan," the teacher sighed.

"Sir, they really need a hand," Videl insisted.

"Hm. I guess Math will wait then. Just give me your paper and we'll see later how you can make up for the half-done test," he replied wearily.

As she was on her way to his desk, she paused for a split second and glanced over her shoulder at Gohan. As soon as their eyes met he lowered his head and pretended to focus on his work.

She rested her test on the teacher's desk and rushed out of the room. When she was gone, the students' mumbling faded and the sound of her steps sprinting away echoed down the hall.

"They wouldn't let me run off right in the middle of a Math test and yet, I don't have much to say there," Sharp whispered.

Gohan didn't answer. He was blankly watching his paper, his pencil still on hold. His eyes drifted to the window next to him. He tried to catch a glimpse of Videl's craft flying away but the parking lot was too far away.

Fire was something dangerous. Why the hell would they call Videl for help? Admittedly, she was a good fighter, but what use was it when flames were the enemy? She could be injured. She was always so fearless – too fearless for her own sake. This was bad and he felt tense at the thought. In search for comfort he reminded himself that Videl had been called countless times by the police for help and she'd always dealt with any situation without him – save for the hostage-taking of course. Besides, if he made a single move to give her a hand, she would really end up unmasking him.

This whole debate got on his nerves. He tried to go back to his Math test, doing his best to ignore the creeping concern disturbing his brain.

Had Videl ever fought a fire? Probably not. He was pressing too hard on his pencil and before he knew it, the lead snapped. He sighed and changed his pencil, unaware of the teacher's glare.

Gohan focused back on his paper with some helplessness. He had still two questions left. All of a sudden, he resumed his work at a quick pace. He was done with the test in ten minutes. He didn't bother checking his results and packed all his things in his bag hastily.

"Already done, Mr. Son?" the teacher asked in disbelief as Gohan stood up.

"Done," Gohan confirmed while laying his paper on top of Videl's. Then, ignoring the astonished gazes of his classmates, he left the classroom and hurried to his locker. He snatched it open and dropped his bag inside. He contemplated some of the personal stuff he had in there for a moment. He had to be cautious, so that Videl or anyone else wouldn't recognize him.

Standing in the deserted corridor, he unbuttoned his shirt and stripped out in haste before grabbing a plain black T-shirt he had used some days before for a sports class. He put it on with a pinch of nose as the garment wasn't exactly fresh. However, Gohan needed to look as common as possible and he had no time to figure out anything better. He also took his chech out of the locker and dropped it over his shoulder. He was aware that Videl had pinpointed the fabric but Gohan couldn't just show up with an uncovered face. Furthermore, he might also need a shield from the smoke. The chech would have to do and he'd get rid of it when everything was over.

He shut the locker and dashed out of the building. As soon as he found an isolated area he rocketed to the sky. He pulled his scarf over his nose while searching the right direction to head to. It didn't take long before he made out a large cloud of black smoke above a district somewhere south. He switched to higher mode as to change the color of his hair and speeded away toward the fire.

As he got closer, he realized the extent of the disaster with some unease.

A surly wind stirred up aggressive and powerful flames. Gohan could gauge that they were already consuming four or five buildings. Fueled by the strong wind of fall, the fire seemed eager to reach the next buildings as well. A thick, dark smoke was clouding the sky and preventing Gohan from seeing exactly what was going on in the streets below him.

He could hear sirens and honking covering the rumor of a crowd mixing civilians and rescuers. From time to time, colorful revolving lights flashed between the curls of smoke. A man was yelling orders in a crackling loudspeaker while scattered groups of people were running all over the place in an attempt to get away from the dangerous area. The disorganization was total.

Floating high enough in the sky, Gohan watched the mess carefully for a while but Videl was nowhere in sight and nor was her craft. There were too many vivid auras in that huge mist to locate her but he could sense that she was somewhere down there.

He heard a chopping noise coming closer from behind and he noticed that four helicopters were on their way to the fire. He decided that it might be best to land and descended carefully through the screen of smoke. While he'd intended to reach the ground unnoticed, the mist shielding his sight and the people swarming the place made it impossible to find an isolated landing area. No one paid him any mind either way.

Firefighters were running in all directions, seemingly trying to follow the instructions that were spit through the loudspeaker. Gohan couldn't even locate the speaker as ashes were floating in the air all around. On top of it, the impressive flames licking the building walls were causing a strange, orange gleam to floodlight the streets. In the midst of that mess, police officers were having a hard time guiding the civilians out of the dangerous area and nobody had the mind to speak to Gohan. Everyone here was busy doing their jobs or figuring out the right direction to run away.

Gohan looked up at the fire burning a few feet away from him. He had no clue whatsoever as to where he could find Videl. Several buildings were burning and she could be in any of them. Chaos urged his mind to find her though, and he was slowly losing his nerve.

Out of hopelessness, he grabbed the arm of a policeman running by. "Videl Satan. Have you seen her? Do you know where she is?" Gohan shouted over the hubbub.

The cop's face was stained with soot. He widened his eyes with a frown as if the question sounded utterly insane. "Videl Satan? No idea," he growled while pulling away from Gohan's grip. Before Gohan knew it, the guy was rushing away calling a disoriented woman heading to a building on fire.

As a last resort, Gohan increased his energy level in order to create a protective screen around him and made his way to the closest building. Firefighters were coming and going, jostling him without the slightest glance at him.

Walking further, Gohan noticed that fire hoses had been settled and turned on. Their powerful jets of water pouring on the flames looked quite useless.

All of a sudden, a deafening deflagration resounded throughout the place. The shockwave caused some of the men around Gohan to lose their balance and they all curled up instinctively. Rubbles were projected in the air, crashing on the cars and the asphalt of the streets but fortunately, as Gohan checked the people around him, nobody looked seriously hurt. "Fuck! There are still gas pipes over there!" someone yelled in the distance.

Gohan's blood ran cold. He had to find Videl. He flew off and tried to figure out where the explosion came from. "Videl!" He called once again. The screams, the sirens and the loudspeaker were forming a din covering his voice though. On top of it, the detonation had made Gohan half-deaf and it had certainly affected everyone around as well, including Videl if she happened to be nearby.

Regardless, he couldn't stop calling her name while desperately scanning the windows of the burning buildings. Before he knew it, he was screaming her name at the top of his voice but pretty soon, he found himself short of breath. The acrid, black smoke entering his lungs was burning his throat. He had a coughing fit and was forced to fly higher in search for fresh air.

The wind was constantly changing direction, dragging the smoke in its wake and forming a huge fuzzy cloud. It was hard to escape from the suffocating mist and Gohan had to gain more and more height as he was still shaken by a furious coughing and in need for true oxygen.

When he reached a clearer sky above the shield of smoke, he found out that the helicopters were circling the burning area rather pathetically as they didn't look like a great help. One of them belonged to a TV channel and a cameraman was eagerly filming the disaster from the open door. Gohan took care to stay far away from this one.

He was still struggling to regain a normal breathing rhythm and he pulled down his scarf to take a deep breath. He closed his eyes while greedily sucking for air and enjoying the harsh wind. At that moment, his attention got caught by muffled voices. They were distant, squealing, hardly audible.

He looked down and his eyes searched the thick mist beneath him. He put his scarf back in place and flew down with the weak sound guiding him. He needed to sink somewhat lower back into the black cloud and figured out that he was only a few feet above a building roof. Two small figures caught in a whirlpool of ashes were desperately gesturing at him.

He landed carefully on the roof. The figures were actually two little girls. One of them was about thirteen while the other might be near Goten's age. "There he is!" the youngest shouted by pointing at him. "Help us! This way!" the eldest one called, dragging the little one in her wake.

Gohan hurried to join them. He was caught off guard as the children pounced on him and embraced him forcefully. They were crying and sobbing in fear, their faces dirty and stained with tears. "Take us away from here, please, please," the eldest one whined. "You can fly. Take us away." The younger girl didn't say anything but she had grasped his T-shirt and she was pressing herself against him, sobbing loudly and whipping her snot in the fabric.

Gohan tried to have them loosen their grips on him but they wouldn't let go. They were scared and the more he tried to get away from them, the more they would panic. "Come on. Calm down, girls. Everything's gonna be all right now," he told them. However, his words were useless to comfort them and they kept begging for him to take them away. He understood that nothing would soothe their fear but do what they asked for.

At that moment, a sudden gust of wind blew off a curl of the mist shielding his view and he made out Videl's craft standing a few feet away from them. His heart skipped a beat.

He grabbed the eldest girl by the shoulders to get her attention. "Is Videl Satan with you? Is she in this building maybe?" he asked eagerly.

The girl nodded. "She was the one to allow us out of our apartment. She told us to stay on the roof and wait for her or anyone to pick us up. Then, she went back to see if she could find other people in there...but...then, there was the explosion," the child stammered. She pointed at something hiding in the mist. "The staircase is gone now and she can't go out anymore… Take us away from here, please." She burst back into tears with a begging gaze as she feared that he would try to rescue Videl and leave them behind. Next to her, the little one had a fit of coughing.

Gohan hesitated for an instant. What he craved for was exactly what the girls dreaded. He didn't need to have a clear sight on the building to guess that its structure was weakening. Even though no flames were to be seen by now, the fire would keep getting higher and higher along the staircase. The acrid smoke becoming thicker and thicker was vouching for that.

He was snatched of his musing by the persistent cough of the youngest girl and as his eyes landed on her, the picture of Goten surged in his mind. "Let's hurry," he murmured while grabbing her by the waist. He lifted the eldest one with his other arms and the children wrapped forcefully their legs and arms around him. They tensed when they left the ground. "You’re holding me too tight," Gohan protested. Yet, they would only cling to him even more and when they were high enough to find some fresh air he was close to be strangled by their desperate embrace.

He had a furious desire to snatch off the scarf covering his nose as it prevented him from sucking much needed oxygen. He closed his eyes for a moment as to keep control before rushing straight to the nearest helicopter.

It was the TV Channel's with the cameraman. Gohan was aware that the guy was carefully filming him but there was nothing he could do about it. He made his way to the open door and called the man. "Put down your camera!" Gohan shouted, "Help me. Take the little one!"

The cameraman hesitated but he reluctantly did as he was said. Gohan handed him a child. The girl got panic-stricken by the height and she clung eagerly to Gohan, screaming and nearly pulling off his scarf. In a reflex to hold it back, he almost dropped the other girl. "Stop fidgeting!" Gohan roared.

His angry voice seemed to have some effect on the girls as they stopped squirming and kept quiet at once. The picture of Videl trapped in the building was haunting him and triggering a dull panic toying with his nerves.

The man in the helicopter ended up catching the children one by one and the girls reached the cockpit safely. As soon as he was free again Gohan rocketed back to the building leaving no time for the cameraman to turn on his camera again.

The sky was so dark and the smoke so thick that he needed what seemed an eternity to locate the roof of the building and the access to the staircase. He was totally on edge. Sweat was dripping down his eyes as much from the heat of the nearby fire, as from the anguish twisting his guts. The situation was bad and he had a hard time keeping a clear mind.

The access to the floors was blocked by a pile of rubbles and he needed to send a blast of energy to make his way to the inside of the building. A hellish wave of heat escaped the hole as soon as the blast pierced through the crumbled debris and it felt like Gohan's skin was literally burning. He paused for a moment and tried to catch his breath before sneaking into the building.

The part of the stairs running down from the roof to the top floor was still untouched but beyond the last floor everything had already collapsed into the furnace below. Gohan wondered how long the structure would still holdon. It was so hot and suffocating in there.

There were two apartments on the top floor. The door of one of them had been left gaping and he decided to start his search there. He entered and called Videl. He heard a muffled voice answering him from a room on his right. "Videl?" he yelped, rushing to the place.

He saw a hand poking out from under a collapsed wardrobe. He lifted the piece of furniture at once. His heart skipped a beat as he recognized Videl lying on the ground, and coughing frantically.

"There you are! What took you so long?" she spat. "That damn wardrobe fell on me when there was the explosion and..." She wanted to speak further but she was too short of breath.

She didn't look like she was seriously injured and she was already trying to stand up now that the wardrobe was no longer blocking her. Gohan hurled the piece of furniture away and knelt beside her. "Are you all right? We must leave. Now. Everything is about to crumble down," he urged.

She leaned on him to get up. She was unable to answer as she could hardly hiss painfully to breathe. Her face was stained by soot and blood and sweat was running down her cheeks. Her bright, blue eyes looked even more piercing as they met Gohan's. She murmured something but her voice was hoarse due to her burning throat.

"What are you trying to say?" Gohan asked while supporting her so she could stand up.

"The little girls! You took them away?" She whispered.

He was so concerned by their own situation that he needed some time to figure out what she meant. "Don't worry," he grunted as he dragged her out of the apartment.

As they reached the landing, a new explosion echoed followed by a chain of vibrations running up through the floor and the walls. The building was shaking and part of the roof above them collapsed all of a sudden in a deafening crack.

Gohan instantly generated a screen of energy around them while Videl yelped out of panic. The ground beneath their feet was blown to pieces and Gohan had just enough time to tighten his grip around Videl's waist to avoid her slipping down with the rubbles. Lifting his hand above his head he sent energy blasts as to destroy any fragment of walls pouring on them while rising in search for an exit. He could feel Videl's ribcage struggling for air. She needed to breathe. He took a glance down and found out that the remnant of the staircase were gone and eager flames were rushing up to them through the gaping stairwell.

He gritted his teeth and released some more energy as to pierce the crust of crumbled concrete screening the former access to the roof. Then, all of a sudden they were in the open. Since he'd been focused on his blasts, rubbles had made their way through their protecting shield hurting them ruthlessly. He instinctively pressed Videl against him in order to have her shelter by his body. He was suffocating though and his head was starting to spin. In a last effort, he speeded up to get away from the fire and smoke as the flame were reaching the roof and licking Videl's craft already.

For a while, everything was dark as they were still engulfed into the acrid clouds but after what seemed an eternity their sight cleared and gusts of fresh wind slapped their faces, making their eyes water at once.

Gohan took a deep breath, ignoring the damn scarf sticking to his lips as he sucked as much air as he could. The helicopters were still circling in the distance. He didn't wait for them to take interest into Videl and him. He rocketed straight away from the fire and didn't slow down until he'd crossed the city.

The crisp air on his cheeks soothed the burning of his skin and dried out the sweat dripping on his forehead. Videl kept quiet and motionless the whole time with her arms and legs wrapped around him. She had lifted her head nestled against him to ease her breathing and enjoy the pure oxygen.

He landed in a park where he'd spotted a deserted area next to a small lake. He loosened his embrace and Videl dropped into the grass while still trying to catch her breath. He sat quietly beside her as to regain his wits as well.

She looked up at him. "I thought this time was my last one," she murmured. "You could have hurried a bit more."

He didn't answer. He was waiting for his heartbeat to return to a normal pace. He was realizing his own terror and how lucky he'd been to find her in time. He silently thanked Kami.

They looked at each other and shivered at the thought of how dreadful the danger had been.

Just then, a slight drizzle started to fall from the sky. They raised their heads in one go, enjoying the coolness and the promise of the downpour. The rain was caressing at first but it soon turned blunter.

"Gohan," Videl whispered as she lifted her hand slowly to take off the scarf on his mouth. He immediately grabbed her hand to keep her away from the fabric.

Her clear orbs were tinged with some sadness at his move. "Gohan, I recognize your T-shirt. You wore it in the sport class some days ago, and your scent –"

"You're mistaking," he grunted while pulling away from her and struggling to his feet.

She stared up at him. "Even your shoes. Gohan, goddamnit," she exclaimed.

He couldn't help a frown as he glanced at his sneakers.

"Gohan, why don't you want… I can't explain how you make it with your hair but I know it's you," she resumed. Her voice sounded like pleading.

He stepped back. "I have to go," he stated. He turned around but as he was about to fly off, she called him back.

"Gohan!"

This time, she sounded like she was commanding him to stay and he was startled by her urging tone. He froze and turned to her with questioning eyes.

She raised an eyebrow and gave him the slyest smirk he'd ever seen on her face. "Got you," she concluded.

Only then he realized that he had stupidly reacted to his own name. He clenched his teeth and rose slowly into the sky in order to leave. Below him, the voice of Videl was half-covered by the downpour but he could hear her yell her gratitiude.


	12. Chapter 12

While sitting in his bathtub and studying the bubble floating to the surface of the water, Gohan couldn't stop wondering how Videl was doing. He could still picture her face smeared with blood and ashes. She'd been wounded in the fire and although he had been convinced it was nothing serious, he couldn't help but feel concerned. He'd left her behind in the deserted park and he wasn't even sure if she'd had her phone to call for help.

Truth to be told, the way she'd trapped him had scared him away. He'd been so stupid to believe that his T-shirt and scarf would be enough to fool her. Not to mention his sneakers. What a moron. Despite his experience as a liar, he hadn't stood a chance against her clever eyes. She had caught him so easily, it was a shame.

He closed his eyes with a sigh. Now he needed to figure out what he would tell her tomorrow for he had no doubt that she would go back to the topic and he couldn't keep denying the evidence. He just hoped she wouldn't confront him publicly.

He hadn't turned back to school after leaving the park. He'd felt too restless and he'd headed straight back to the Capsule. Fortunately enough he hadn't met anyone on his way and he'd locked himself into his small house. He'd been seriously shaken up by the events and he craved for stillness and comfort. A hot bath had been the best plan coming to his mind and he'd been soaking in there for an hour or so now, feeling like all his stamina had been drained into the steaming water.

He could have gone back to the fire to give the rescuers a hand. Actually, that was exactly what he should have done. That was what his father would have done. Had he been there, Goku would have dragged him along and they would have both helped until the fire was put out. Some years back Gohan wouldn't have had a second thought about turning back but today he'd even hesitated to rescue the kids, urging to save Videl first.

It felt as if helping people no longer interested him. It wouldn't provide him the same satisfaction as before. He was weary of giving and who could blame him after? He'd given so much already. He'd given his childhood, his father and he was still giving away some pieces of his soul as he kept getting rid of some rats for everyone's sake.

Of course, he didn't regret the choice he'd made to save the little girls but he couldn't prevent a thrill at the thought that things could have turned out otherwise. He wasn't sure how he would have reacted if the building had collapsed with Videl still inside.

He chased that idea away from his mind and sat up to get out of the bath. He had to make sure that the rain had been enough to bring the fire under control. He dried himself and got dressed. There was no TV in his place so he made his way to the Briefs' house to watch the news at Bulma's.

Paying the rain no mind, he crossed the garden and knocked at the Briefs' backdoor. He entered before getting an answer and found Trunks and Vegeta standing in front of the television in the living room. The boy called him happily as soon as he showed up. "Gohan! Look! You're on TV!"

Trunks was overexcited and pointing at the screen as if Gohan had been awarded for some outstanding performance. Gohan gave him a weak smile and looked up at the TV. He recognized the cameraman's point of view in the helicopter. His own figure was surging from a cloud of smoke holding the sobbing girls in his arms.

Standing a few feet from him with his arms crossed, Vegeta gave Gohan a swift glance and the young man glimpsed some kind of disbelief in the Saiyan's eyes.

"Why did you cover your face though? Nobody can recognize you," Trunks complained in disappointment.

"That's the point, Trunks. I don't want anybody to recognize me. Don't tell anyone at school you know me, will you?" Gohan replied.

Trunks stared at him in puzzlement.

"I just want to be left alone so promise me you won't say anything to anyone. Can I trust you?" Gohan insisted.

"Whatever. If that's what you want," Trunks muttered with a shrug.

They kept listening to the news. They were talking of a Golden Ninja, the words causing a contemptuous pout on Vegeta's face. Then, the journalists ended up explaining that the fire was finally under control and might be put out at night. They claimed an amount of victims that was to be confirmed and hardly mentioned Videl's help.

"It reminds me of your father," Bulma's voice suddenly said.

She had showed up unnoticed behind Gohan's back with a cup of tea in her hand.

"His father wouldn't have hidden his face," Vegeta snorted.

"That's for sure. He wouldn't even have thought about it," Bulma retorted with a roll of eyes.

Gohan gave Bulma an uncertain glance. Of course he was nothing near his father. His father would still be fighting the fire by now, looking for more people to save.

"You saved those children, Chichi will be proud of you," Bulma added with a loving look at him. She stretched her hand out as to pat his hair affectionately, but she changed her mind at the last minute as she remembered that he was no longer a little boy.

Vegeta turned away from the TV. "The Golden Ninja. How pathetic," he grunted on his way out of the room.

His comment had Gohan rub his head in embarrassment but Bulma rested her hand on his arm and smiled at him. "Don't listen to him, Gohan. You can be proud of yourself. What you did was risky and yet you didn't hesitate to save these kids. Why don't you stay and have dinner with us tonight? I'll fix you a good meal," she claimed in a comforting tone.

He accepted the invitation but he lacked his usual appetite. He was still thinking of Videl and wondering what he would tell her when they would meet at school.

The night didn't help his brooding over the situation and the next day, while standing before his locker and ready to take his things for his first class, he still hadn't the slightest idea of the story he should tell Videl.

He sighed and opened the locker with a weary gesture. A picture fell to the ground as soon as he flipped the door open. His blood froze at once. The photo was face down and all he could see was a white square lying on the floor. Hearing Erasa's coming closer, he picked it up hurriedly and put it in his pocket.

"Hello, M. Genius. Going to the ball with Videl?" she chanted cheerfully, a delighted grin stretching her lips.

"Huh, yes," he admitted with a shy smile.

"Sharp is awfully good at convincing people," she added playfully.

Gohan couldn't help but chuckle at the statement. "And still, you won't go with him," he pointed out, "I heard you're going with a third year."

Erasa squinted in disbelief and Gohan knew at once he'd said something wrong. "Why would Sharp want to go with me? He has a girlfriend, remember? You got weird ideas sometimes."

"Excuse me, I think I misunderstood something," Gohan stammered while taking his books out of his locker.

Erasa didn't look affected by his remark though and she went back to her careless mood. "By the way, did you see the Golden Ninja is back?" she squirmed, "I really thought we wouldn't see him again. He's still as sexy as ever, I think I'm in love."

"You're getting boring with that guy, Erasa." Sharp grumbled as he joined them and opened his locker next to Gohan's.

Erasa had a playful pout. "Jealous. I still wonder who he is. I would love to meet him for real."

"It could be me," Sharp offered with a smirk.

Erasa just gave him a skeptical stare.

Sharp stopped rummaging his locker and opened his arms like an invitation to take a closer look at him and consider his suggestion. "With some gel in my hair and a black scarf over my nose, what do you think? We have the same muscles after all."

Erasa rolled her eyes. "Bullshit. Tell me, isn't today the day your mother is supposed to come and meet the intendant?"

Sharp's smirk went even deeper. "Exactly, dear. This afternoon. She'll have to move her appointment with her hairdresser and it means she'll be all the more pissed," he replied while gathering his belongings.

Erasa couldn't help but giggle at the thought but her chuckle was interrupted by an authoritarian voice snapping across the hall. "James!"

The three students quieted at once and they turned around as to see where the call came from. A blonde woman, wearing a tight, sophisticated dress was heading their way with a determined step. The general supervisor was trotting meekly behind her. The sound of her heels clacking on the floor and her hair pulled into a flawless bun gave her a military bearing.

  
Gohan had no doubt she was Sharp's mother. Just like Sharp said, whenever someone cared to utter his first name, it reeked of trouble. Erasa was right though. The woman was gorgeous. The other students gawked at her but she wouldn't pay them any mind.

She stopped right in front of her son and Sharp looked down in annoyance. "Hi, Mum," he mumbled halfheartedly.

"I had our appointment brought forward as I had other… things to do," she announced with a wolfish grin.

Only then, she looked up at Gohan and Erasa. "Hello, sweet Erasa. How are you, honey?" she greeted.

"I'm fine, thank you," Erasa replied shyly.

"I haven't seen you in a while. You should come visit us some day," Sharp's mother suggested. She paused when her eyes fell on Gohan. "And you are Gohan Son, aren't you?"

Gohan flushed at once as he was taken aback by the fact that she knew his name. She was gauging him, her face still wearing a wicked smile. "Right, it's me," he stammered in unease.

She turned to the general supervisor now standing next to her. "I assume he is the Gohan Son. The one who passed all the tests so brilliantly although he'd never set a foot in a school before?" she asked while pointing at Gohan.

"It's him. A very promising boy," the supervisor confirmed.

"Thinking that some kids wouldn't be able to get half of his results even though they had the best teachers since their early childhood, I'm impressed," she commented with a pout.

Had it been possible, Gohan would have turned even more crimson than he already was. He felt awfully embarrassed and he couldn't even bring himself to look up at Sharp.

"You should tutor my son, Mr. Son. Be sure I can be very grateful," she added.

"Yeah, sure, boy. She can afford it," Sharp growled.

"That's right. Glad you acknowledge that the problem has never been about my financial possibilities, honey, and sometimes I wonder whether it's not just about intellectual possibilities," she retorted coldly.

The supervisor cleared his throat in disapproval. "James' problem has nothing to do with his capacities, Mrs Misk. It's all about motivation." He was obviously bothered by the tension between mother and son.

Sharp's mother cocked her eyebrows in disbelief. "I'd love to believe you."

She turned back to Gohan and Erasa and gave them a thrilling smile, having them cringe at once. "Let's go, James. See you soon, kids."

She walked away, her stressful heels clacking on the floor. The supervisor hurried in her wake while Sharp followed much more reluctantly.

Gohan and Erasa watched them bleakly for a while. "It doesn't look good," Erasa sighed absently.

Videl was still missing when the first class started. Gohan watched her empty seat. He was unable to focus on the teacher's speech. In a way Videl's absence gained him some time but on the other hand, he found himself worrying about her. Erasa was sitting too far from him to ask her anything but maybe Videl had indeed been seriously wounded. Or maybe she just took a well deserved day off, after all.

Sharp didn't show up either and Gohan realized that the sentence of temporary exclusion had eventually taken effect. His mother had likely been forced to leave with him. Gohan calculated that it meant he wouldn't see him before Savior's Day.

A firm knock at the door eventually interrupted the last class of the morning and Videl came in apologizing for being late. Relief washed over Gohan as he found out that she was fine save for a few stitches on her forehead and a bandaged wrist.

"You should be resting today, Videl. It wasn't necessary for you to come," the teacher pointed out in a soft voice.

"I'm fine, Sir, thank you. I really wanted to attend my classes today as I already missed my Math test yesterday," she replied.

As she made her way to her desk, she glanced at Gohan. He immediately focused back on his book, pretending he hadn't noticed her. She smiled at his behavior and sat down wordlessly.

As soon as the bell claimed lunch break, a crowd of students eagerly gathered around her as to ask for more details. Gohan saw her disappearing behind a living wall of restless students. He seized the opportunity to get up and leave the room unnoticed. Erasa went out with him but she had to attend her usual music class and she left him behind. He had no other choice but to go to the cafeteria alone.

He was served with an undefinable dish and he chose a lonely table to eat away from prying eyes. He feared Videl would tell everyone about him, so he studied his classmates heckling around. Yet, no one paid him any mind and he deemed it to be a good sign. For now, it seemed that no one was considering him as a Golden Ninja. He was still an anonymous second year, a newbie with few friends. He finished his meal in haste and left the cafeteria to go back to his favorite bench behind the gym.

It wasn't raining anymore but the air was damp and the grass of the lawn was still soaked. The clouds were fading away, allowing sunshine once in a while.

He sat down on the bench and took out his book about the whale*. He peered at his watch to check how much time he still had left, then he let the sailor's story hook him.

"I was sure I'll find you there," Videl said, as a whale finally loomed on the horizon.

He jumped and looked up at her. He hadn't heard her coming. She walked to him and before he knew it she gently grabbed a lock of his hair. She studied it with a pout. "You burned your hair," she stated.

With a move of his head, he snatched the strand out of her grip. "Are you hurt?" he asked while closing his book.

"Hm. I have some scratches and I coughed all night but most of all I had the scare of my life. You saved me…"

"Are you going to tell everyone?" he cut off nervously.

She sat next to him and looked him right in the eyes, mulling over the question for a while. "I don't know. Not for now, anyway. Why all these secrets, Gohan? You saved those girls, you saved me. You are a hero."

She sounded truly puzzled. He sighed. He was about to reply that he wouldn't have gone to the fire if it hadn't been for her, that he had hesitated to save the girls knowing that she was endangered and that he hadn't even cared to go back save more people the moment he'd been sure she was safe in the park. Yet, her eyes were gleaming with a blissful awe and he didn't feel like disappointing her. "I'm no hero, Videl. I just can do things that most people can't and that's it," he said instead.

He could read the disbelief in her aquamarine eyes. She would still consider him like someone amazing.

"I want to be left alone. I don't want people to look at me like a freak, can you understand that?" he resumed.

She nodded slowly. "These things you do…Like ... flying or ... changing the color of your hair, how do you do that?"

"It's all about mastering your ki," he explained although he doubted she knew what he was talking about.

"Mastering your ki," she repeated thoughtfully.

She was staring at him with some fascination, and he felt that her gaze at him had changed. That was exactly what he'd dreaded. "Don't look at me that way. I'm the same as yesterday."

"I already knew who you were yesterday," she pointed out mischievously. "I was just wondering what you're still hiding."

He had a slight frown at her words. "You found out everything that was to be found out in my opinion."

"I am not so certain of that," she claimed.

He flinched. His guts were twisted by her merciless scrutiny. She would never let go and he was wary about everything she could still do to learn even more about him. He grabbed her arm firmly. "Videl, if you speak to anyone... I'll have to leave the school. I'll have no choice."

She blinked at his statement. He was meaning it. He would really leave the school and maybe she wouldn't even see him again. She became aware of how much he cared for his secret. Unmasking him might have been a game for her but it had never been a game for him. It felt like all his extraordinary abilities were painful to him and yet she couldn't understand why.

She had always thought that everything would be over the moment she would be able to unveil his identity as the Golden Ninja but it was quite the opposite. Things were far from clear if not more obscure. Gohan was still a total riddle in her eyes. He said he had no desire to be a hero, or a Golden Ninja while she would dream to have half of his skills.

A sunbeam fell from the sky through the fluffy clouds and straight on them. As the light touched Gohan's face she realized how handsome he was despite his wary sadness. She gave him a comforting smile. "I'll hold my tongue. You're still going with me to Savior's Day, aren't you?"

He was caught off guard by the question. "Huh, yes, sure."

"Good. You're my true savior now after all," she whispered. She leaned closer to him and placed a kiss on his temple. Her lips lingered on his skin and he closed his eyes. As she pulled away and grabbed her bag, he had an instinctive move to stop her but for some reasons, he repressed his gesture.

"I have to go see the Math teacher about yesterday," she claimed in a low voice while standing up.

She was doing her best not to look at him while he wouldn't unlock his eyes from her. He kept quiet and watched her all along when she walked away. When she was gone he realized he craved to take her in his arms. He cursed himself for being so dumb and missing the opportunity.

The touch of her lips on his skin was still tickling and he could still feel her clothes brushing his arm and her scent lingering in his nostrils. He wanted her back. He wanted her close to him.

The thrill bell claiming the end of lunch break resounded all of sudden, snatching him from his bliss. He closed his eyes and sighed. Some things were definitely about to spiral out of control. His cunning lies and his art of concealment were crumbling down when Videl was around. On top of it he was becoming unable to keep her at distance. All this was getting to end badly.

He packed his book back in his bag and made his way to his classroom. As he put his hands in his pocket, he felt the picture he'd found in his locker in the morning. He'd completely forgotten about it. One more picture. He toyed with it for a while but he couldn't bring himself to take it out of his pocket. The feeling of the small square between his fingers was more than enough to darken his mood as the sweetness of the moment with Videl was already fading away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * The book Gohan is reading is Moby Dick by Herman Melville


	13. Chapter 13

Satan High School's campus was unusually clean that night. The lawns had been mowed, the paths running in between raked and swept. The building where the ball was to take place was adorned with banners of the school and a few steps away, right in the middle of the park, a gigantic white tent had been erected to shelter the ceremony. Garlands of varicolored lanterns were hanging in the trees all around in order to guide people when night would fall.

Fortunately enough, the rain had stopped. The day had even been quite sunny and the weakening light of late afternoon was now flooding the elegant settings. As Savior's day was to start soon, background music was playing through loudspeakers to welcome the guests heading to the tent.

Leaning against the wall of a nearby building, Gohan was watching the scarce groups of students and parents showing up one by one. He was smoking a cigarette while standing in the shadows. Once in a while, he would give a glance around as to check that nobody would come unnoticed and catch him. He had little chance of being punished tonight though, because tonight was Savior's Day – the birthday of Hercule Satan, hero of the world.

Bulma had offered to go with him but Gohan had told her it wasn't necessary. At Chichi's request, she had insisted on taking pictures of him dressed in his classy suit though. Although she was proud of Gohan attending such a high society event, Chichi had no desire to make the trip from Mount Paozu only to listen to endless speeches praising the man who'd stolen her son and husband's credit. Truth was Gohan wasn't looking forward to it either.

He hated the idea of witnessing Satan enjoying the glory that should rightfully belong to his dead father. A thousand other reasons should have kept him away from that stupid Savior's Day as well and yet, he'd come either way. He wouldn't be able to say why he'd given in to Sharp's insistence but against all odds, he was happy he had.

He just had to face the fact that he was feeling good in that school. He had friends there. For the first time in his life, he held someone for his friends. Videl, Sharp and Erasa weren't family, or his father's companions. They were just people his age - normal people on top of it. He felt normal with them and they wouldn't expect him to be anything else than himself. Around them he didn't need to be strong or brave or brilliant. He just had to be Gohan Son, some seventeen-year-old student. They wouldn't ask him to save the world or keep up with his father. They would only care for his company no matter his mood and he cared for theirs in return.

That was an unfamiliar world to him and he loved the feeling that he belonged to him. He loved to forget the fakeness of the situation and the fact that they would never see his true self.

Yet, no matter how oblivious he tried to be when he was with his friends, it was still an illusion. As a reminder of that bitter truth, he'd received a message from M in the morning claiming a job was to be done this evening. Even so Gohan had decided that he wouldn't miss Savior's Day. Had he done so, what he was supposed to do later tonight would have felt even more unbearable than it already was. Even if that implied him stealing away during the ball, he needed the comfort of his friends more than ever.

The ceremony in Satan's honor that was to take place before the ball wouldn't be the best part though, so there he was, standing in the shadow and smoking thoughtfully with no hurry to join the guests.

He spotted Erasa walking toward the tent along with her mother. They look very much alike in the distance, both blonde and wearing white dresses while chatting happily. Erasa was a beautiful girl. Gohan remembered her astonishment as he had suggested that Sharp could have offered to be her partner for the ball. He couldn't help but wonder whether she had ever noticed the way Sharp cared for her. Maybe she was only pretending to be clueless because she didn't have feelings for him and she didn't want to hurt him.

She was always wary of other people's well being despite her apparent thoughtlessness. Her mood was constantly cheerful and her mind always positive even though she sounded somewhat naïve at times. She was definitely the solar type. Quite the opposite of Sharp if truth to be told. Quite the opposite of Sharp's girlfriend too. Maybe the connection between Sharp and Erasa wasn't as obvious as Gohan pictured it. It wasn't exactly his business anyway, even if he couldn't help but feel concerned about them.

He took a last drag of his cigarette and flicked the butt as it was time to join the guests.

He made his way to the tent. A crowd was now pressed at the entrance and a hubbub of joyful voices was echoing under the white canvas capital. Elegant chairs had been arranged in rows for the audience with panels determining where each class was to sit. On each side of the tent, mouth-watering buffets were disposed on long tables framed by watchful waiters who wouldn't allow anyone near the food as long as the ceremony wasn’t over.

Gohan gave the food and drinks a thoughtful stare. Then, he located the space where the second years were supposed to seat, searching the best place where he would be able to doze in peace during the boring speeches to come. As he was making his way through the guests, a hand slipped into his. He turned around in surprise and found Videl smiling at him. She pulled him in the direction opposite of his.

He was taken aback at how different she looked tonight. She had tied her hair on the top of her head, letting her locks carelessly cascade down her neck, but her dress was what made her breathtaking. In itself the garment had nothing remarkable save for its color which was the exact same blue as Videl's eyes. She hadn't even cared to put on jewelry and she still had her bandaged wrist and the stitches at the root of her hair, but the dress was enough to have an outstanding light shine through her. "The ceremony won't start for a while. Come with me," she whispered with a wink.

He did as he was said, allowing Videl to guide him wordlessly, holding his hand like a child. People on their way would sometimes greet Videl or congratulate her and she would reply with nods and smiles but she would never stop walking ahead.

Gohan followed suit, mesmerized by the blue of the dress and the dance of its folds with each of Videl's steps. She looked so different tonight. It felt almost as if it wasn't her true self. He realized that it was just actually a side of her he had never known before. His thoughts were somewhat confused.

She took him out of the tent and away from the guests. As she was walking ahead of him, out of the oppressing crowd, the light of the setting sun made her even more beautiful.

She let go of his hand and quickened her pace while making her way around the ballroom's building. Gohan unlocked his eyes from her frame and he figured out that a bunch of students had left their parents behind in the tent as to gather here. Some were smoking, some were casually chatting. Some couples were kissing in the shadow. A few feet away, Sharp and Erasa were talking, beers in their hands. Sharp saw him and gave him a sarcastic smile. "My, what a relief you didn't dig out your grandfather's suit, Gohan," he greeted him mockingly.

Gohan had missed the asshole's humor and he smiled back. "As you can see, I fit in with the herd. What about your sentence? Is it over?"

"Unfortunately I have to face it. Holidays are over. I'll be back on Monday," Sharp sighed while handing him a beer.

"My dad will be late, so we'll have some time before the Ceremony," Videl informed as she opened a can for herself.

Her innocent words cracked the bliss of Gohan's mind and he peeked nervously at his watch. Not that he would worry about Videl's statement but she had reminded him that he had to check out his schedule. The message he'd received this morning said 10 pm by giving an address. As usual, there was nothing else. The message and the picture. That was all.

As his classmates were chatting happily Gohan found himself unable to listen to them anymore. The mention of time had ruthlessly dragged his mind back to what was yet to come. He was getting somewhat restless while picturing the features of his target. The guy was quite young – younger than the previous ones at least – black hair, a bony face with aggressive, nervous eyes. Women might have a liking for such man but not Gohan. Gohan disliked his common look. He'd studied the picture very carefully for hours but there was nothing remarkable to remember about the guy's face.

All of a sudden, a loud whistle echoed, snatching Gohan out of his musing and causing all the students to scatter away in a split second. Gohan needed some time to grasp that the whistle was an alert to warn about some supervisor's arrival and the impending start of the ceremony. Videl grabbed his sleeve and dragged him away. "Still dreaming, Gohan. You'll get caught," she muttered.

He turned to her with a dazed face. In reply, she took his can and flung it to Sharp. Sharpener cursed as he did his best to avoid the splattering of beer. Gohan glimpsed at him as he was gathering all the cans and thrusting them into a bag.

"Come on," Videl urged him while taking his hand once again.

She brought him back to the tent through a different path. Coming closer to the entrance, she let go of his hand and took some mints out of her pocket. She ate some and slipped the rest in Gohan's palm. "Be nice. We'll see each other after the Ceremony," she said before rushing to the tent and leaving him behind.

He stood numb for a moment, jostled by his late comrades hurrying to join the audience they weren't supposed to have left. Sharpener was eventually one of the last. Seeing Gohan uncertain, he grabbed his arm and pushed him forward and into the tent.

"I would gladly offer you sit to with me and my family but as you know, things are sort of tense right now," Sharp grumbled to him.

"Don't worry for me," Gohan replied absently.

Once inside, the two boys parted. The crowd was now sitting down and Gohan noted that most of the seats were no longer empty. Yet, he pinpointed exactly what he'd been looking for. A chair was free at the end of a row and it had the surprising perk to be placed behind a pillar blocking most of the view to the platform. This was the perfect spot to doze peacefully and unnoticed.

He sat down and made himself as comfortable as possible next to a bulky woman already watching the platform with awe in the eyes. The moment the first word of the first speech was uttered, Gohan mourned his unfinished beer. Unaffected by the praise and the general cheer greeting Satan's apparition, he took out the picture of his target and studied it for the thousandth time.

He was rubbing nervously the edges of the photo with the tips of his fingers while struggling to memorize the features of the guy. His mind couldn't help but to drift to the real problem though. The real problem wasn't the picture, it was the address. Gohan had checked it on a map of the city and to his greatest confusion, he'd found out that it was a police station. Wasn't it worth asking questions for once?

When he'd started working for M, the instructions were always given along with a brief explanation about the target. It was somehow a way to remind Gohan that he had made the right choice. Over time, information became increasingly scarce but even so, Gohan had always done what he'd been asked to. Now, he was granted no detail whatsoever about his contracts. Like an old business partner no longer requiring guarantees, M deemed that Gohan would no longer need any explanation.

It felt like he'd just become an ordinary gunslinger and it was a disturbing thought. Was he asked to kill a cop now? Maybe a corrupted one. Or maybe, he was asked to kill a gangster. Gangsters also entered police stations once in a while.

Looking up absently, his eyes fell on Videl sitting a few rows ahead of him. She was motionless, listening sternly to the school's Headmaster. The curve of her neck and bare shoulders, the amazing blue of her dress, the folds of the fabric hanging on each side of her chair, everything made him shiver. He was her savior. That was what she told him the other day. He was a hero to her. He would have liked this statement to be the one and only truth about him. Thinking about it, it was maybe only up to him. Why not just refuse to fulfill the contract? It would mean giving up the money, so what? Quite ironically, he knew that if he did, he would have to leave high school and he would no longer see her. He would have to go back to his lonely, boring life at Mount Paozu. The mere thought froze his guts.

He looked down at the picture. Killing this guy would be simple routine to him after all. He'd done it dozens of times. M had never betrayed him as all targets happened to be first class bastards. Every time Gohan had the curiosity to check it out, that fact had been proven right, even though he had to admit that he hadn't checked it out very often as of late. He would just have to do what needed to be done and come back. With some luck, nobody would notice him being gone for a while and after that, he would be able to have fun and party with Videl, Sharp and Erasa. When was the last time he attended a party? He couldn't remember but what he knew for sure was that he never went to that kind of party.

When the ceremony eventually ended, it was about 8:30 pm. There was a thunder of applause before the audience stood up and rushed to the buffets. Despite the eager mass Gohan was skillful enough to get his hands on a fair amount of food. He glimpsed Videl among the crowd. She had seemingly left her father and the school Headmaster behind so Gohan made his way to her without a second thought. "I got something to eat, you want some?" he offered her.

She looked at him with an amused pout. "Just take me to the ball, now. We're supposed to join Sharp and his girlfriend outside."

He shrugged and followed her while stuffing a sandwich into his mouth. "What about Erasa?" he sputtered on his way.

"Erasa is going with a third year so we'll see her later," Videl sighed.

Gohan didn't get the full meaning of that answer but he assumed that, for some reason, a third year wouldn't like to hang around with them.

Sharp and his girlfriend were actually standing at the entrance of the ballroom. Sharp's girlfriend was a tall girl with wavy hair and hazel eyes called Aya. She always sounded like she was mocking everything and everyone, starting with Sharp. Yet, oddly enough, she would always be free for him whenever he felt like seeing her. The rest of the time, she would act like they were strangers. She could eat with her friends at the table next to theirs while Sharp and her wouldn't care to give the slightest glance at each other. Their relationship was definitely confusing in Gohan's eyes. It was nothing near the bond he pictured with a girlfriend.

"I can't believe it. How did you get so much food?" Sharp exclaimed, as he found out all the sandwiches Gohan was bringing back.

"This is my secret. Are you hungry too?" Gohan replied with a proud grin.

"I'm rather thirsty by now. I'm just out of two hellish hours with my mother and my stepfather. I need to relax a little," Sharp chuckled.

"Take it easy this time," Videl mumbled warily.

Aya and Sharp were carrying heavily loaded backpacks and Gohan found out that they were full of beer cans. Only at that moment, he realized that many other students were heading to the ball's building with bags coming out of nowhere.

As their group eventually made its way inside the Ballroom, Sharp carelessly took Aya's hand. Gohan noticed his move and he gave Videl a hesitant glance. Should they do the same? Videl's eyes wouldn't meet his to give him an answer though. He rubbed his head in embarrassment and after a while, he ended up deciding that Sharp and Aya were nothing near Videl and him so he just walked apart from her.

The room was beautifully decorated. The place was huge with a dance floor set up in the middle and tables and chairs all around. The light was dim and music had started to play already. Gohan was delighted to find out that more food was at disposal here although no one seemed interested in eating for the moment. He served himself again as to reload his stock and joined his friends already sitting at a table. Shielded by the dim light, Sharp hadn't waited to open a beer.

"The music is always lame at first. It's like they wait for the parents to be all gone before fun can begin," Aya hissed while opening a can too.

"Just wait a minute, honey, and you'll see what a real dancer is. I promise it," Sharp sneered.

"Huh, please, Jamie. Not that again," she complained.

"What do you mean 'Not that again'? You know I dance like a God. And don't call me that by the way. Gohan, do you dance too?"

Gohan squinted. "Dance? I don't think so. I'm not even sure if I ever gave it a try," he replied after a second thought.

"Are you kidding?" Videl choked.

"Don't worry, Videl. I'll teach him," Sharp resumed confidently.

"Poor Videl. That sounds like a threat if you ask me," Aya sighed.

Videl shrugged with a soft smile. "We'll see. Will you try it Gohan?"

"Huh, yeah, sure. If you want," Gohan mumbled with some uncertainty while watching some fearless students already swinging on the dancefloor.

Sharp and Aya had brought a lot of beers. Gohan realized that they even had more bags hidden up and there. The students turned restless quickly enough as more alcohol was handed around.

At some point, Sharp and Aya vanished from the table and Erasa showed up. She started to chat with Videl, giggling and chuckling while the empty cans kept replacing the full ones in the backpacks under the table.

Gohan was nervously checking his watch. Seeing the girls lost in their talk, he eventually left them behind under the pretext of going to the toilet. None of them paid him any mind though and he doubted that they had even heard his words.

When he stepped out the building, the freshness of the night reminded him that he should have been warier of his drinking. His head was slightly spinning. In the park, the huge tent that had sheltered the Ceremony was now dark and deserted. The only lights on were the garlands of lanterns hanging from the branches of the trees and spreading a weird colorful twilight over the lawns. All the parents had left the place as was the custom to leave the kids alone to enjoy the Ball on their own. Gohan knew some supervisors were supposed to lurk around but he hadn't seen them so far.

He walked away from the entrance of the ballroom. Scarce groups of students were outside talking quietly on the benches or heckling on the lawns, most of them obviously drunk. Couples were melting into the formless shadows of the night and Gohan couldn't help but to glance at each of them in fear that Sharp and Aya would be there too. He wouldn't like them noticing him stealing away although they might have been too busy to give a damn.

He didn't see them though. He wandered away for a good while before he was sure to be completely alone. He flew off to the gym's roof where he had left his bag. He got rid of his suit's jacket and his neat white shirt. He'd donned a T-shirt underneath his clothes and slipped into a black sport jacket. When he was done he took the picture out of his pocket once more.

From the roof he was standing on, he could hear the muffled music and glimpse the school banners and the garlands of lanterns shining in the night. He sighed as the thought of Videl surged up in his mind. He'd left her behind unnoticed and he felt somehow guilty for that. He couldn't help but wonder how long she would need to realize that he was gone. Maybe she had already. If Gohan's job was to last too long, she might as well leave the ball before his return. He wouldn't see the blue dress again. He would miss the opportunity to dance with her. He would miss the opportunity to dance at all.

He clenched his fingers on the picture and gave it a hateful stare as if the photo was to blame for all of that shit. He grasped his backpack and flung it over his shoulder. As he ascended in the sky he felt pleased that it was night. Night always helped him bear with his doubts.


	14. Chapter 14

The place wasn't a common police station. Gohan figured it out after studying the business going on in the building for half an hour. There were hardly any cops in uniform wandering around and there was apparently no public allowed inside. It looked rather like the headquarters of special units of the town’s police department and the cops working in that place were the type to deal with criminal matters rather than with pickpockets. As a matter of fact, unbeknownst to him, Gohan was at the central police station where Videl had been summoned a few weeks earlier.

The building was square and high, its walls of grey bricks pierced by large windows equipped with bars. Gohan had chosen a nearby roof across the street as a lookout, allowing him to watch the place with his binoculars. The large size of the windows and the night offered him an unrestricted view of the scarce offices where lights were on.

Security was poor. There was a man in uniform standing outside the main entrance - probably along with one or two other ones at the reception desk inside - and CCTV cameras pointing at the street but that was all. Gohan had no doubt that the building was swarming with armed guys ready to shoot any intruders though. Sitting on the ground behind the ledge of the roof, he counted the exits once again.

First of all, there was the main entrance. It was a wide double door and it was the usual way for people to go in and out. Actually they were mostly coming out due to the late hour. They would go pick up something to eat or they were done with their daily job and going home. Except for some of them returning with bags of takeaway food once in a while, nobody was entering the building. Gohan couldn't feel any special restlessness among the cops. They were having something of a very usual night, it seemed.

The second exit was the parking lot. Yet, the traffic through that way was very weak. Since he was there, Gohan had seen only one car going out with a woman as a driver.

The third and last exit was a tiny side door. He'd almost missed it at first. Actually it was likely sealed, looking old and unused. Gohan had checked the other facades of the buildings but there were no other exits there.

He peered at his watch. He still had five minutes until ten. He sighed and put down his binoculars. He wondered if the target would go out or come in. Another question haunting the back of his mind was who this target could be. He ran his hand across his forehead wearily in attempt to throw off that nagging questioning. It was a little late to bother about that detail. He just craved to be done. He craved for everything to work out smoothly so that he could go back to the damn ball. He was also aware that he had drunk more than he should have and a sort of exhaustion had seized him.

What the hell was he doing here? He was about to kill someone. Not just anyone, someone who might be a cop. This was something serious and yet, he hadn't been able to give up that petty ball. Even worse, he couldn't prevent himself from drinking and laughing at Sharp's moronic jokes before showing up on that roof. He hadn't resisted the taunting prospect of being Videl's partner for the ball either. Damn, they had been supposed to spend some good time together and he'd abandoned her. What a hero. He'd been foolish to believe that he would be able to cope with that double life of his. The result was now plain to see. He was a half-drunk moron about to screw a risky mission, which meant screwing his life in the process. Not to mention he'd betrayed Videl by leaving her alone at the ball. He was a total mess.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He needed to gather his wits. Letting his brain list everything he'd done wrong wasn't going to help. He had to focus, otherwise it would really end badly.

He watched the main entrance through his binoculars again. "Come on ... where are you? Show up now," he mumbled for himself like a prayer to his target. It was time now.

Yet, the entrance was still deserted. The standing guard was shifting from one foot to the other in an attempt to keep himself warm in the crisp breeze while the huge lanterns above the door casted a quiet shadow on the street. Gohan turned his attention to the parking lot, but everything was still there too. He was getting nervous.

He checked his phone searching for any messages canceling the mission but it only confirmed that he was five minutes past the deadline already. The last message was the one he'd received in the morning and it said 10 pm.

"Damn, not only does this guy look like nothing but he's also late," Gohan hissed in annoyance.

He positioned the binoculars back on his eyes. An old man in a raincoat walked in, greeting the guard on the way, then nothing. Gohan sighed out of impatience. Boredom and beer were slowly fogging up his brain and he was struggling to stay focused.

All of a sudden, he glimpsed a swift movement from the corner of his eye. He turned his head just in time to see three guys rushing through the small side door he'd thought sealed and unused. He pointed his binoculars at them but it was already too late. The door had closed on them.

Gohan cursed under his breath. He hadn't even had time to make sure the target had been among the newcomers. A dull anger seized him. All that was bad. He had no clue if he should still expect the target to show up for the guy might just be inside that damn bunker by now.

Gohan was a master when it came to lying or going unnoticed. He could play a nice waiter, an uncaring pedestrian or even a harmless student. He had never run out of ideas when it had been to sneak in any place. Any place but this one. They surely had cameras in each nook and even if they didn't, he didn't stand a chance of lasting five minutes before he would get spotted. A cop could be bad at many things but there was one thing they couldn't afford to miss, especially if they were working in this kind of special unit. He wouldn't fail at recognizing another cop in his own police station. It meant that the first person Gohan would find in his way would pinpoint him as an intruder. The very same person might as well store his every feature in their memory.

What could he do? He kept watching the street for a while, with the faint hope that the target was still to come. Yet, after ten minutes, he had to face the obvious. The guy was there, inside that unreachable place. He gritted his teeth at the thought, feeling like hurling the binoculars out of frustration.

Should he wait for the guy to come out? It could last hours as far as he knew. Should he give up and return to the ball? The wind caressed his hair gently as if suggesting him to do so. Gohan calculated that he still had some money, not enough for all the bills of the month, but he could ask for payment terms. Maybe. The school wouldn't bargain with him though. They would call Chichi and she would discover that the scholarship wasn't enough to cover all the expenses and that would trigger angry questions about the way Gohan had been able to pay so far. That was something of a dire prospect and it sobered him somehow. Furthermore M might not trust him further with any job and everything he'd done so far would crumble into dust. He bit his lip and scanned one by one each window of the building. He had to find a solution. The quicker, the better.

He was startled by a light turned on in one of the offices overlooking the facade. His blood froze and he pointed the binoculars at the window. "Kami, I love you so much," he whispered as he made out the target entering the room along with another man.

He took the photo out of his pocket and gave it a last peek. No mistake, he was facing the right man. The guy sat on a chair and his face went out of Gohan's sight. Now that he had located him, Gohan had other issues to handle though. He needed to go closer to get the job done but he also had to plan a way to run away as unnoticed as possible. He couldn't afford to get chased. Most of all he didn't want anyone to find out that he could fly. How many people were able to fly in the world? The police might not know the answer but people around Gohan did. Not to mention Videl only knew one person capable of such a feat.

Gohan pulled out his chech. He had deemed it useless to get rid of it since Videl had unmasked him. He covered up his nose with it and packed the rest of his belongings in his bag before hiding it behind a ventilation shaft of the roof. Aside from his hands and eyes, his clothing was totally melting into the darkness of the night.

He flew silently to the grey brick building, taking care to avoid the light casted by the lampposts. He stood on the narrow ledge running along the façade, pressing himself against the wall and coming as close as possible to the window. He gave a swift glance inside as to figure out the room's configuration and the number of people present.

The vertical bars sealed in front of the window bothered him and made his balance very precarious. He was nevertheless able to make sure that the target had a single companion for now, very likely a cop considering the gun in his hip pocket.

The room was rectangular with two windows piercing its length. The two men were sitting opposite of each other at a table next to one of the windows while Gohan was spying them through the other. Thus, the target was turning his back on him and shielding the cop's sight of the young man. A few steps away from the table, a door was ajar on a dim corridor.

Gohan grabbed one of the window's bars in his fist and bend it slowly. He held his breath as to remain as silent as possible and took care to keep his frail balance. When he deemed the bar was bent enough, he did the same with the next one in order to get a fair way to slip between them and reach the window pane.

When he was done, he paused for a moment as to catch his breath. He peeked at the neighborhood and checked the facing buildings. The street was dark and still and his black outfit was supposed to melt down into the shadow, but he was relieved to figure out that the neighborhood looked deserted.

He leaned to the windowpane and glimpsed inside once again. He felt slightly dizzy due to the beers and he nearly lost his balance. He caught hold of a brick at the last minute and his wrist knocked into one of the bars. He stood still back against the wall and waited with bated breath to figure out if someone had noticed him.

Yet, he could hear the two men chatting further. Gohan couldn't hear what they were talking about but he noted that the target kept silent most of the time. The other man was the one to speak.

As far as Gohan had been able to glimpse, the guy in the picture still had his back to him. He was slumped in his chair, smoking a cigarette while seemingly listening to his companion.

At some point, the ringing of the phone interrupted the talk. Gohan heard someone pick up and some snatches of answers. Then everything went silent.

Gohan took the risk of a new peep and he found out that the target was now alone, smoking absently while the other man was gone.

Gohan hardly had a second thought as he slipped in through the bent bars and slammed the window open wide with a single pressure of his fingertips on its casement. He lost no time and jumped inside the room. His acting was completely reckless, he knew. Anyone could come in any moment, especially considering that the door was still open. Anyone could walk by in the corridor or hear him and step in. That would mean the urge to run away likely by flying. Not only would the job be screwed but his secret would also be seriously endangered. He was usually much more cool-headed and cautious but it seemed his annoyance mixed with the influence of the beer had drowned all his thoughts.

The guy jumped on his feet and turned around as Gohan landed on the floor. The young man gave him a hateful glare. He felt oddly mad at him as if that man was the cause of all the mess he had to handle. The target stood no chance to gather his wits. Gohan was behind him in the blink of an eye with his arms snaked around his neck. A firm pressure was enough to trigger a gloomy snap. The man's body went limp at once and the cigarette slipped from his fingers. Gohan held the corpse tightly to prevent it from hitting the ground with a thud. He leaned down and laid the dead guy silently on the floor.

As he straightened he found himself face to face with the second guy coming back and standing numb on the doorstep. The newcomer was frozen in astonishment, his finger clenched on a stack of paper in his hands.

Gohan's face was hidden thanks to the scarf but his eyes widened in horror nevertheless and for a split second the cop and him stared at each other in equal disbelief. Before the cop knew it, Gohan was close an inch to him pressing some special spot in his neck and sending him to blackness. Gohan held him back as to lay him softly on the floor just like he'd done with his target.

It was too late to hope to keep playing unnoticed though. Footsteps and voices echoed in the corridor, all of them heading his way. Gohan dashed to the window at once. He snuck out like a cat between the bars and dived from the ledge into the night. He glided in silence over the street all by making sure to stay out of the streetlights.

He heard yells behind his back and he gave a glance back at the window where figures were leaning out in an attempt to locate the intruder. Yet, Gohan was already much too far away, shielded by the shadows of the night.

He flew around the block and joined the roof he'd used as a lookout through its opposite side. As he picked up his bag, his eyes lingered on the police building across the street. The place, so quiet a moment ago, was now as restless as an anthill. Men were swarming the street while cars were surging with screaming sirens out of the parking lot. The angry shouts of the cops were echoing between the high buildings and up to Gohan's ears.

He wiped his forehead with the back of his sleeve and caught his breath for a moment. What he'd just done had been insane. Not to mention he had to get rid of an uninvited witness. He hadn't hurt the guy but things had never turned out so bad. The teenager shivered at the thought that the cop had seen him, or at least he'd seen his eyes.

Gohan had a dry mouth. He took a gulp and peeked at his watch. It was about eleven. He had to go back to the ball. Maybe Videl would still be there. He strapped his bag on his back and flew off.

He crossed the whole city, opting for a high fly in order to avoid the cops' helicopters likely looking for him.

When he landed on the roof of the gym, his guts were still twisted with his heartbeat racing. He tried to ignore that detail while slipping hastily back in his suit. As he joined the park of the school a sole concern was still nagging at his mind. Would Videl be gone?

He was relieved to find some students in his way. The music was still playing in the ballroom so he assumed the party wasn't over yet. As he made his way to the ballroom, he became nervous at the thought that he would have to lie to Videl. He was so bad at it.

Despite the freshness of the night, some students were haunting the lawns and the groves of the park. Small, scattered groups were chatting loudly while sipping beers or smoking. Gohan kept walking to the entrance of the ballroom, wondering whether he would still find his friends in there. His train of thought was harshly interrupted by Videl's angry voice calling him. "Gohan!" she roared.

He flinched at the anger echoing in that single word. She had showed up out of a dark path of the park and she was striding to him with daggers in her eyes. "The fuck! Where have you been! We've been looking for you everywhere," she exclaimed.

"I – huh – I was – then," he stammered pathetically.

"Whatever. Tell me later, we got some trouble there," she grunted with gritted teeth. She grasped his wrist and dragged him along as she made her way back to the path she'd come from. Her grip was nothing near the loving hand she'd slipped in his palm before the ceremony and Gohan figured the problems she'd mentioned might be big ones.

He had to quicken his pace in order to keep up with her as she kept pulling him in her wake. It didn't prevent Gohan's eyes from again wandering over the folds of her dress. The fabric would move in rhythm with Videl's steps, its blue color as mesmerizing as ever.

She guided him through an alleyway lined up with tall trees, and up to a lawn surrounded with shrubs. There was no one around except a small figure kneeling on the grass. As they came closer, the weak light of the lanterns allowed him to recognize Erasa. She had her back turned on them while leaning over someone lying on the ground. When she looked up at them, Gohan found out the person lying there was Sharp.

Erasa's face eased up as she saw them. "God, Gohan, she eventually found you," she exclaimed in relief.

"Damn, why’d ya call for help? I told you I'm fine," Sharp growled while propping himself on his elbow.

Only then did Gohan figure out that his friend's face was covered with blood. Erasa had indeed been trying to clean up with her handkerchief. She looked helpless if truth to be told. "Shit, what happened to you?" Gohan hissed in disbelief.

"Nothing. Nothing happened to me," Sharp muttered as he struggled to sit up. Each move seemed a painful effort to him. His white shirt was torn and stained with splashes of blood.

"Shut the fuck up, Sharp," Erasa cut off in anger. She turned to Gohan. "Joon happened, of course. Joon and his friends beat him up," she explained.

"Three on one. These assholes were as brave as usual," Videl added with a frown.

"You really missed some fun, Gohan," Sharp snorted, pushing Erasa's hand away from him. He was now trying to get to his feet but he happened to be too dizzy to stand up. He stumbled back down to the ground and gave up any further attempt.

Erasa watched him with a weary sigh as Sharp grabbed his aching head with both hands. "Dirty bastards. They were leaving when I came. I yelled at them but there was nothing more I could do then," she resumed.

"We have to find the supervisor and tell him," Videl stated.

"Don't even think about it," Sharp growled.

"And what is your idea, moron? Look at you. You're wasted and reeking of beer. What are you gonna tell your mother?" Videl retorted.

"Don't worry about my mother. I'll figure out something. I- I just have to go home," Sharp mumbled. With that, he laid back on the ground with his forearms covering his eyes.

Erasa gave Videl a hesitant stare. "They have to pay, let's go see the supervisor," Videl repeated.

Gohan was listening to them in disbelief. He gazed at Sharp muttering under his breath. He was in a bad shape to say the least. In the dim light, Gohan could make out an impressive black eye and blood had been dripping all over his face and down to his neck. Sharp's swollen nose was also a worrying sight. The way he slurred his words also vouched for Videl's statement. Sharp might have knocked back a damn bunch of beers.

Then, Gohan’s attention was caught by a smear of Sharp’s blood on Erasa's dress. For some reason, the sight of the crimson dark stain on the white fabric shocked him even more than the rest. A dull rage overwhelmed the Saiyan and before he knew it, his energy level flared. He was caught off guard and he had to struggle to keep control. He'd stood still and listened to them so far but he felt oddly restless all of a sudden, his boiling blood tickling his nerves. They have to pay. He totally agreed with that.

"I'll go get them," he announced coldly.

Leaving no time for an answer, he whirled around and headed back to the ballroom. He tried to locate Joon's aura but there were too many teenagers all round and Gohan didn't know Joon enough to pinpoint his ki. Not to mention his own dizziness wasn't helping. He gave up his attempt to use Joon's aura and mulled over the best place to start searching for him. He came to the conclusion that, being the cowards they were, Joon and his friends wouldn't go back to the party in fear of being caught. They had more likely settled down in a dark nook of the park as to keep binging in peace.

"Gohan! Gohan, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Videl called behind his back.

He ignored her and kept walking nervously. He picked up a random direction sinking further in the shadows and away from the other students. He had no doubt the guys he was looking for would want to hide somehow. Guys like them were always hiding after a nasty blow.

"Gohan, calm down. Don't do anything foolish. Let's go get the supervisor," Videl carried on. She was following him, having a hard time to keep up with his pace.

He didn't pay her any mind. He kept striding through the dark vegetation, focusing on any move or sound that would warn him of Joon's presence.

Videl sighed. She ended up keeping quiet for he wouldn't even slow down at her argument. Yet, she kept following him in concern while secretly praying for Joon and his friends to be hiding far away from that place.

After a while some drops of rain started to fall. As if it had been a signal for the end of the hunt, Gohan slowed down and stopped allowing Videl to finally catch up with him.

"Gohan, you might hurt them if you fight them. They're not level with you and you know that," she pointed softly.

He frowned down at her. "What about them, then? Were they level with Sharp? He was drunk on top of it. He didn't stand a chance," he growled.

"They're bullies though. You're not like that," she objected gently.

Videl's words froze his guts as the picture of the brown-haired guy he'd killed an hour ago surged in his mind. What chance had that guy had when facing him? Videl couldn't suspect how wrong she was for Gohan was exactly like Joon and his friends. He was even worse. He was smarter, but he was worse. If he hadn't been a brute, he would have stayed by Videl's side at the ball instead of running away to kill an unarmed guy. He would have been close to his friends and he would have been able to watch over Sharp. None of this would have ever happened. This thought rekindled an overwhelming fury and his energy flared again. This time, he couldn’t help but power up and his hair turned white in a blink while an invisible might radiated from his body.

Videl flinched and couldn't help a backlash. "Gohan, calm down," she whispered with bated breath, "I beg you. I'll do whatever it takes to have them punished for what they did. They'll be kicked out of the school."

He looked down at her and contemplated her pleading eyes. What he saw in her cristal orbs wrenched his heart. In her mind, his anger was only the sign of his concern for Sharp and although she disapproved his actions, she still considered the feeling as righteous. She was so far from the truth. He was most of all furious at himself and Joon was the perfect scapegoat for all his frustration, but she would never know. Sadness washed over him at this thought and all the fury dissipated at once.

Perceiving his second thought at her words, she stepped closer to him and gently caged his body with her arms, as if she had been strong enough to hold him back from going anywhere. The rain was getting thicker and he could smell the scent of her damp hair. "Please, if you keep hunting them you know it's gonna end badly. Promise me to stop that madness," she whispered further.

Little by little he felt soothed by her firm embrace and the softness of her voice. His hair returned to its normal color. She looked up at him with shiny eyes and gave him a shy smile. There was such trust and such benevolence in her clear eyes that he craved to deserve her feelings. "Promise it," she insisted in a breath.

"I promise," he replied in a low voice before pressing his lips on hers.

He hadn't exactly intended to do that. Videl had a start of surprise but she didn't push him away. He freed his arms from her embrace and wrapped them around her shoulders as to hug her forcefully.

The rain kept soaking them and Videl's hair was now dripping on her forehead but they didn't move, enjoying the blissful moment. They were interrupted by Videl's phone buzzing frantically. She pulled away from him and took it out of her pocket. Despite the twilight he could make out her slight blush. "It's Erasa, we have to go back help her. We can't leave her alone with that oaf of Sharp," she announced while avoiding any eye contact. Then, before he knew it, she let go of Gohan and ran away across the deserted lawn back to the ballroom. "Hurry up, Gohan!" She shouted at him.

Her voice sounded so cheerful now. It was like she was about to burst out laughing.


	15. Chapter 15

Erasa, Videl and Gohan's very first intention had been to go see the supervisor. Yet, Sharp had rebelled against it, threatening that it would be the end of their friendship if they did and even though he was drunk and hardly able to stand, he'd sounded serious enough to have them shrink from their first thought. Videl herself caved in although she'd been adamant that the supervisor was their best hope to solve the situation. She eventually suggested taking Sharp to the hospital instead.

His nose was likely broken and he needed some serious stitches since the bleeding wouldn't stop. Sharp rejected that prospect as well though. What he wanted was to go home, claiming he didn't need anybody meddling with his business. At that point, they should have broken off Sharp's bargaining and let some adults handle the issue. Yet, the three of them were quite drunk too and as things stood, none of them were looking forward to being questioned by a suspicious doctor or lectured by a disapproving supervisor. It made it all easier to let Sharp make the silliest decisions all by praying it would drag them out of their mess.

They did their best to make their way unnoticed to the exit of the school. Gohan and Erasa supported a bloody and bitching Sharp while trying to avoid the attention of the few students still braving the rain in the park. Fortunately, most of them happened to be high and they hardly mind the sight.

The icy downpour hadn't been enough to sober Sharp and he was still loudly claiming revenge while they helped him climb into Videl's craft. He kept babbling on and on about Joon even after they'd taken off. Nothing would calm him down and his restlessness was getting worrying and annoying. At some point, Gohan wondered whether he should maybe just knock him out as to silence him. Mother Nature was kind enough to take over on that matter as Sharp started to puke his guts out. If anything, Gohan would say that it had been the moment when things had really spiraled out of control.

Sitting in the backseat with him, Erasa shrieked in total panic while their friend wouldn't stop throwing up all the beers he'd recklessly knocked down. She urged Videl to land immediately and it resulted Videl doing as she was told in the most hazardous way possible. As a matter of fact, she totally missed her landing and lost control of her machine.

When the craft whirled on its side and hit the ground, Gohan was turned around to the backseat in order to keep an eye on Sharp twisting in pain. Gohan was quick enough to grab the back of his seat at the last minute, but Sharp was flung on Erasa, crushing her against the door in the process. Sitting on the same side as Erasa, Videl was hurled against the upright of her door as well.

"Fuck, Videl! What the hell are you doing? Trying to kill us?" Erasa roared in exasperation while trying to get rid of Sharp's limp body on her.

Videl frowned while rubbing her aching temple. "My head's spinning. It might be the damn painkillers I was prescribed," she grunted.

"What? God, how dare you drive us while you've mixed alcohol and drugs? Aren't you supposed to be Daughter of the Savior?" Erasa hissed when she was able to push Sharp away from her at last.

"What about it? Would you like it better carrying your sweetheart to his home on your back?" Videl spat back.

"He's not my sweetheart! And you're the one who offered to go see the supervisor and didn't do it, aren't you, Mrs 'sense of responsibility'?" Erasa barked.

The girls went into a fierce fight, completely oblivious of a half dead Sharp lying next to Erasa in a pool of his own mess. Gohan tried to step in and calm them down but he quickly deemed it wiser to let the girls settle their issue on their owns. He climbed down the craft as to figure out how damaged it was. Videl's machine happened to be a pathetic sight and it was obvious that it would no longer fly further.

Paying no mind to the yelling girls, Gohan dragged Sharp out of the cockpit and hoisted him up on his back. He knew the hospital to be only a few blocks away and headed its direction under the rain. Although Sharp was half unconscious, he was still able to mumble his disagreement. Gohan just ignored him and kept walking.

After a while, Videl and Erasa caught up with him by running under the downpour. They were quiet by then which was a good thing for Gohan had no desire to cope with the medical staff on his own.

When they eventually entered the emergency room, they were a sad mess to see. All of them were dripping with rain. The girls' beautiful dresses were drenched and wretched while their hairstyles had given way to dangled locks sticking to their forehead and cheeks. They were shivering while trying to keep themselves warm by sharing Gohan's jacket. Best of all, Sharp's head was dangling on Gohan's shoulder, soaking the half-Saiyan's white shirt with blood. Their miserable look was enough to have the medical staff rush to them and handle Sharp's state.

"What happened?" one of the nurse asked as Sharp was taken away to the treatment room.

Gohan peered at the girls in uncertainty. "A fight," he replied after a second thought.

The man gave each of them a doubtful peek.

"Maybe he drank a little too much too," Erasa stammered in unease.

The guy in the white coat raised an eyebrow but he didn't ask anything else and left them behind and headed back to the treatment room. None of the three dared to add anything and they sat down wordlessly on a bench in the waiting room.

Videl was sitting between Erasa and Gohan. Afetr a silent moment, she shifted nervously. "We should call his parents, otherwise the hospital is going to call the school and it will be the death of us," she stated. Erasa nodded in agreement.

"Who got the phone number of Sharp's parents though?" Gohan asked. With that, he leaned forward as to give Erasa a questioning stare. Videl turned to her as well causing the blonde girl to pale.

"Oh no, you won't have me call his mother. She freaks me out," she whined.

Videl rested a comforting hand on hers. "She shouldn't. I can tell she likes you."

Yet, Erasa shook her head forcefully. "No, no, no. I won't. Besides, she might be sleeping by now and she will be even more pissed if I wake her up. You can't force me."

Videl slipped a gentle hand into her friend's pocket and pulled her phone out. She handed it to Erasa. The blonde girl took it reluctantly and browsed her contact list. When she found what they were looking for, she froze and her eyes turned to Gohan. "You should call her. If she's ever been keen on someone, it's on you. After all you're the Gohan Son who brilliantly passed all the tests," she stated. Videl gave Gohan a surprised glance. He sighed and took the phone to make the call.

The ringing of the phone echoed countless times before a raucous voice picked up. “Misk?”

Gohan cleared his throat. “Hello Mrs Misk. Gohan Son on the phone. I’m very sorry to bother you at such ungodly hour but, huh, James had a slight misfortune and -”

“What sort of trouble did that goddamn kid get into this time?” Sharp’s mother mumbled in obvious annyance.

Gohan ran his hand into his hair. “Mrs Misk, I’m currently at the hospital with him. Don’t worry, it doesn’t look like anything serious but we need you to come either way,” he explained. Despite the mess in his brain, the teenager was able to speak in a very natural voice and he sounded very reassuring although he was giving bad news.

Silence answered him, so he resumed. “He’s been wounded but I don’t really know what happened to him. The doctors will tell you exactly what it’s about.”

“I bet he was drunk again,” Sharp’s mother cut him off.

“Drunk? I didn’t notice anything that kind,” Gohan answered in complete innocence.

Sitting now on either side of him, Videl and Erasa listened to him in disbelief as he was putting on a show to Sharp's mother. His skill for dissimulation and lie was plain to see while they hadn't ever suspected that side of Gohan. His low voice and serious tone created the perfect illusion that he was sober and in total control of the situation., not to mention he was lying with great nerve.

He eventually heard a deep sigh on the line. “I’ll be there in twenty minutes or so,” Sharp’s mother grumbled.

“I’ll wait for you, Mrs Misk,” Gohan promised meekly. When he hung up, both girls remained speechless.

He cleared his throat in unease. "She's on her way. She sounded pissed."

For some reasons, that statement had Erasa suddenly burst into tears. She was certainly as drunk as Sharp and considering the emotions she'd gone through so far, the prospect of Sharp's mother storming in any moment was too much. Videl tried to soothe her by wrapping her arm around her shoulder and whispering soft words into her ear. Gohan noted once again that while Videl was demanding with anyone else, she was utterly compromising and protective with Erasa. Gohan assumed it was the mark of a special friendship between them.

Yet, no matter how comforting Videl was, Erasa kept sobbing and slurring nonsense about Sharp dying and his mother ruining Erasa's life as a revenge. Videl decided that the best option was to call a taxi to drive her home before Sharp's mother showed up. Gohan agreed with that. He wouldn't be able to bear with more drama.

Before Videl left the waiting room with a whining Erasa pressed against her, she gave Gohan a last gaze. She smiled at him and he saw unusual sparkles in her blue eyes. Gohan felt an unexpected warmth overwhelming his guts. He smiled back and the girls disappeared through the swinging doors of the emergency room.

That night had been a total disaster if you asked Gohan. Yet, when it was eventually time to slip into his sheets, his thoughts went back to Videl's dress and her petite body against his, and he came to the conclusion that it had been worth all the mess.

Sharp's nose wasn't broken but his pride was shattered. When he showed up on Monday morning, Videl, Erasa and Gohan paid him instant attention in concern of what he would have to tell. However, he kept quiet and ignored them as he walked to his desk and sat down. His eye was a dark purple while the top of his nose was red and swollen and the arch of his eyebrow had been stitched up. All their classmates had their eyes locked on him as the class started. Gohan only had time to greet him before the teacher ordered silence as to begin his lesson.

The teacher didn't look surprised at Sharp's condition which could only mean that the school knew what had happened to him. Gohan had no doubt that Sharp's mother had warned them. Being the bossy vixen she was, she had maybe even dragged the headmaster out of his bed at first light on Sunday. She was used to getting attention whenever she longed for it and she wasn't the patient type.

As for Sharp, he was in no mood for his usual sarcasm about the class this morning and kept silent. Gohan could perceive his anger by the way he clenched his finger on his pen. His friend also did his best to avoid meeting his eyes. Gohan was uncertain whether he was angry at him for taking him to the hospital and calling his mother. All he knew was that Sharp had ignored Erasa and Videl's calls all through the weekend.

A knock at the door interrupted the class and a supervisor showed up. He gave the teacher a small note and whispered something in his ear. All the students were silently watching them in a general attempt to hear some snatches of words and to grasp what was going on. The supervisor paid them no mind though. As soon as he was gone, the teacher glanced at the paper and cleared his throat. "James Sharpner, Erasa Solis and Gohan Son, you're expected in the headmaster's office at the end of the class," he announced.

Whispers echoed at once in the classroom and the teacher had to call his students for order. He gave no further comment about the supervisor's visit and resumed his lesson. Erasa glanced back at the boys with a questioning look but Sharp just kept scowling while Gohan shrugged in ignorance.

As soon as the bell claimed the end of the class, Videl and Erasa dashed to the boys' desks. "What the hell is going on?" Erasa hissed in concern.

"My mother is messing around as usual," Sharp grumbled.

"What did you tell her? Why call us in now?" Erasa resumed with bated breath.

Sharp gave Gohan an upset gaze. "I didn't tell her anything about what happened. What about you Gohan. What did you tell her, man?"

Gohan raised his hands in innocence as his three friends were staring at him in wait for his reply. "Huh, I just said that Erasa had found you in the park and that I brought you back to the hospital, I said that I didn't know anything else."

Sharp rolled his eyes. "God, you said you found me in the park. That's why we're being called in. Now, she'll think that some students did that to me."

"That's the case," Videl stated coldly.

Sharp punched his table in anger. "I don't want Joon and his bastards to be punished or kicked out of the school, hear me? I want to take care of them by myself."

"It's stupid," Videl commented with a shrug.

"I never asked your opinion, Mrs Know-It-All," he retorted while standing up. They glared at each other when Sharp walked by her but she didn't argue any longer as her friends left her behind to exit the classroom.

Gohan understood Sharp's point of view. Sharp didn't want to rely on anyone to do him justice and who could blame him? Certainly not Gohan. He knew too well that low profile wouldn't earn the best reward. Actually, Gohan was quite willing to help his friend getting his revenge. He was even looking forward to it, considering that he had been Joon's target in the first place.

Gohan and Sharp walked wordlessly down the hall with a halfhearted Erasa on their heels. "The headmaster will want to know what I saw in the park and I'll have no choice but to tell him," she stated in a low voice.

Sharp froze and turned to her. "You won't do that. You didn't see anything and you won't tell him anything. You'll just say the same thing as Gohan. You found me all bloody in the park. I'll say that I was attacked by strangers at the exit of the park as I was about to leave and that I tried to come back to the ball in order to get some help. Ain't that a good tale? What do you think Gohan?"

"Not bad. I didn't suspect your brain could work so well," Gohan replied playfully.

Sharp smirked at him but Erasa still looked hesitant. "You mean you want me to lie to the headmaster and to your mother?" she resumed with some hopelessness.

Sharp gave her a gentle smile. "You won't be damned for that, freckle. You'll do that for me, won't you?"

"I don't like it," she insisted in annoyance.

He grabbed her shoulders gently to have her focus on him. "I know you don't but it's not such a big deal when you think about it. You can do that for me, huh?" he repeated with a soft voice.

She shifted her eyes away from his with a frown while jerking away from his grip. Then, she strode away without a word, making her way further to the headmaster's office.

Sharp watched her for a moment. "She'll do it," he told Gohan. "As for you, like you already told my mother, you don't know a thing of course."

"About what?" Gohan asked mischievously.

The two friends smirked at each other before resuming their walk in Erasa's wake.

Lying wasn't a problem for Gohan. It had stopped being a problem a long time ago. Yet, for Erasa, it was obviously something unnatural and unpleasant. Most of all, she was nothing near stupid and she knew that her lie was supposed to allow Sharp to have his way, a way she disliked for it might cause more trouble.

When they reached the headmaster's waiting room the man was already standing there to welcome them. He called Erasa at once, speaking to her in a soft voice with a hand resting on her shoulder in a comforting gesture. He guided her inside his office and closed the door, leaving the boys on their own. The man's soothing behavior with Erasa hadn't gone unnoticed from Gohan and Sharp and they looked at each other in concern. He'd picked up her in the first place and he was to question her without Sharp by her side. No doubt, he expected a confession.

"Are you sure she won't talk?" Gohan whispered as they sat down.

Sharp leaned against the back of the bench with his hands behind his head. "Don't worry. She'll be mad at me, that's for sure but she'll keep her mouth shut," he sighed casually.

Although Gohan liked the idea of fixing things Sharp's way, he couldn't help but find it incredibly selfish to force Erasa to lend a hand to his scheming. Furthermore, Gohan didn't understand that she accepted playing the game. Once again, he realized that Erasa and Sharpner's bond was somewhat confusing.

When Erasa stepped out of the office, she proved Sharp right as she glared daggers at him. She didn't bother speaking to them and exited the room. Sharp turned to Gohan with a half-smile. "I told you so," he murmured.

"Gohan Son, will you come in please," the headmaster's voice called.

Gohan played his part perfectly. He was the Gohan-Son-who-had-so-brilliantly-passed-the-tests. He hadn't seen anything. He had taken his friend to the hospital despite the rain. Thinking about it, he should certainly have warned the supervisor back then, but Erasa and him had been freaked out at Sharp's bloody condition. Their bad move had been due to panic, no doubt. However, Gohan had still enough wit to ask Erasa for Mrs Misk's number and he'd called her. He had also waited for her at the hospital after he'd sent an exhausted Erasa back home by taxi. Wasn't he a responsible teenager? He took care not to name Videl in his tale, of course.

Sharp's mother attended the interview, listening to his every word. She did her best to look unaffected but Gohan could say she was in awe with him. He had a pang as he couldn't ignore that, while staging his show, he was embodying everything she was dreaming her own son to be. Brilliant, responsible, a leader. Instead of all this, she had Sharp. A dunce, brainless, rebellious. Unbeknown to her, Gohan was only much more manipulative than Sharp, and no matter how smart she was, this woman got lured. At this thought, he hated her even more. Yet, at this moment, he had to keep seducing her. "I don't think any students in our school could have done something like that, if that was your idea, Madam," Gohan concluded in the most reasonable tone as possible.

She had a small chuckle. "You're a kind kid Gohan, but James can be something of a brawler and it wouldn't be the first time he got into a fight. You don't know him like I do."

"Maybe, but the more I think about it, the more impossible it sounds to me," Gohan insisted.

She had a broad grin and Gohan knew that he'd won the game provided Erasa had stuck to the plan. However, sitting at his desk, the headmaster was staring at him with a thoughtful face and Gohan fathomed that the man was much less convinced. He would more likely suspect the exact truth. He had certainly heard of the brawl with Joon, not to mention the intendants knew each of their students by heart. Yet, Gohan realized the headmaster wouldn't say anything for he had no will to get into troubles with Sharp's mother.

As soon as Gohan left the office, Sharp was called by the headmaster and Gohan had no time to speak to him as they switched place. He glanced at him in an attempt to let him know everything had gone according to their plan. Gohan was aware that it would be too suspicious for him to stay in the headmaster's waiting room, now that he'd been questioned, so he decided to go wait for Sharp on the bench behind the gym instead.

When he reached the place, he sat down and fumbled in the inside pocket of his jacket. He took out a bundle of notes. It was the pay for his mission at the police station and it worried him. He counted the money carefully with a frown. Like he'd suspected it, a third of the fee was missing.

He hadn't been able to get the money until very early this morning. He'd had no opportunity to do it on Saturday night due to the events. Then on Sunday, he'd slept too much in the morning and he had to hurry back to Mount Paozu after that. Thus, he'd only returned to the city at dawn this morning to get his pay. When he'd picked up the package, he'd felt it wasn't as thick as usual but he'd had not time to check it so far.

When it was about getting his pay, things always worked the same. M would text him the name of a hotel or a bar and Gohan showed up at the address claiming to see Mr. Cell - A sort of tasteless joke, courtesy of M. The place was rarely the same but each time the receptionist or the bartender would answer that Mr. Cell had to go but left an envelope for him. And each time, the envelope would contain the key of a deposit at the main train station. It was where Gohan would get his money. As a result of this system, Gohan hadn't seen M in months if not in a whole year. Meeting him was no longer necessary. Gohan had become the perfect employee and he didn't need to be told anything.

Gohan stared at the money in annoyance. It wasn't enough. He gritted his teeth. It was maybe time to review his agreements with M. He pocketed his treasure back into his jacket and took out his phone. He had to see M. He had the surprise to find out that it was reciprocal by discovering a new message from his boss fixing an appointment the next day after school in a downtown bar. Gohan sighed and packed his phone back with an irritated frown.

The situation was definitely getting on his nerves and he pulled out a cigarette. He didn't even bother to watch out whether someone was around and lit it. Gohan wouldn't deny that he hadn't been on top at the police station but the job had been done. True enough, he'd acted recklessly, but when he'd left the place the target was as dead as a doornail. The disbelieving face of the cop stumbling across him surged back in Gohan's mind. He remembered every detail. The guys' fingers clutching the stack of papers in his hands, the stupor in his round eyes. Gohan had no doubt that the cop remembered him as well. Gohan had no choice but to knock him out. He hadn't harmed him but he was aware that he'd been close to disaster. He'd been incredibly lucky but he'd broken his vow to hurt no one else but the people on the pictures. Furthermore, he'd done it without a second thought due to the shock of facing that unexpected witness. The cop's face would haunt him for a long time, he knew. Just like his own face would haunt the guy, no doubt.

"Mr. Son! Smoking is forbidden inside the school!" a voice boomed, snatching him out of his musing. Gohan was startled and looked up only to find Sharp walking to him and laughing at his scared eyes.

"You should see your face, man. What were you dreaming about, tell me?" Sharp asked as he sat down next to him.

"I was dreaming of a world without any of your moronic jokes," Gohan growled, "So? How did it end?"

"Case closed. My mother caved in. I was officially attacked by strangers outside the school."

"The headmaster doesn't buy it," Gohan pointed.

"I don't care for the headmaster. The only one I care for is Joon."

"Still, the supervisors are gonna keep an eye on you and Joon from now on."

Sharp smirked. "I'm aware of that and that's why I'm going to wait for a while. As the word says revenge is a meal best served cold."

"A dish," Gohan corrected, "it's a dish. How long are you going to wait?"

Sharp stretched with a grimace of pain. "First of all, I'll wait for my ribs to get fixed but it will be time soon enough. Are you in?"

"Of course, I am," Gohan mumbled absently. Sharp's idea excited him a lot but he was remembering that he had promised to Videl that he wouldn't make anything violent. He also remembered the way he'd sealed that promise and the memory of that moment had him smile unwillingly.


	16. Chapter 16

"What does the story of the whale(*) mean?" the intendant asked.

Gohan looked up hesitantly at him while clenching his fists on his lap. "Huh… It's about a quest."

The intendant nodded all by waving his hand as to ask him to explain further. Gohan focused in search for better words. "It's an obsession?" he tried.

"What else?" The older man insisted.

Gohan felt lost. "Huh… It's an obsessive quest?" he stammered.

The intendant sighed and rubbed his eyelids in contained weariness. "So, what does it lead to?" he carried on.

"It results in total destruction - death of the entire crew and the sinking of the ship," Gohan offered warily.

Gohan assumed he hadn't given the answer the man had been expecting as the intendant's fingers started a nervous druming on the desk. Fortunately, the nerve wrecking sound of his nails tapping on the wood stopped soon enough and he eased off. "Well. It seems that you're at least able to read a book without picture, Mr. Son and that's good. I would even say that you're close to pinpointing the underlying message in the story, which places you at the same level as a student in his third year of Middle School."

Gohan shifted on his seat. That didn't exactly sound like praise.

"You're not in third year of Middle School though. You're in second year of High School and we still plan to have you take the final exam with your older schoolmates, so you should work on your skill for analysis," the intendant resumed while taking back his book Gohan had laid on his desk. He put it away in his drawer and pulled another book out, much to the boy's despair. It sounded even heavier than the first one when the old man dropped it on the desk.

"Next time, you'll tell me about this one," the intendant claimed with an obvious satisfaction.

"Yes, sir," Gohan mumbled meekly all by repressing an annoyed frown.

As he slipped the book into his bag, the man went back to his file and browsed it for a while. "Literature is better. Sport – Well, make an effort my boy. I suppose we could do without sport but it's a pity. Regardless, your teachers are still pleased by your results so if you keep going that way, we're planning to double your current classes with the third year's classes within a month or two. You have already been registered for the final exam as a precaution," he explained.

Gohan got startled by the last statement. "Sir, I don't think I can-"

"Of course you can. Trust me," the older man cut off. "You have extraordinary skills and it's an outstanding blessing, you know. Don't you feel somewhat bored among second year students? Be honest."

If he had to be honest, Gohan would tell him that he never had more fun in his life than among these "second year students". He would reply that he'd never learned so much in such short amount of time than he had in their company, even if it had mostly been outside the classroom. He would also explain that he'd never considered his extraordinary skills as an outstanding blessing yet rather as an insistent disability that had always kept him apart.

He couldn't confess his true thoughts to the intendant though. Although the man could claim he'd been doing his job for thirty years, Gohan was sure he'd never dealt with a Saiyan before. "If you say so, I assume you know better," was all Gohan could answer.

The intendant smiled at that. "As a matter of fact, I know better. However, there's something else I should let you know. Your scholarship might not be enough to cope with the additional expenses the exam implied. We'll have to discuss that issue with your mother. Do you think it will be a problem for her?"

Gohan looked down in concern. "I don't know. Will it cost a lot?" He mumbled.

"Let's say it might be a financial effort, but I don't want you to worry about that. I'm pretty sure we'll find a solution. I know your mother is very motivated by your success. Not to mention, it would save her the cost of a third year," the man replied.

Gohan closed his eyes. Hiding the real cost of the school from his mother demanded constant caution. He had to intercept the bills and he even needed to forge her signature on the school contract. The intendant's plans would call for more cunning, and more lies too. Most of all, the situation would require Gohan to find more money in a short amount of time and his relationship with M wasn't on top for now.

Oblivious of his student's worries, the older man gave a satisfied sigh as he closed the file. "There's one last thing before you go, Mr. Son," he resumed.

Gohan looked up at him in wariness. He'd been wise enough not to smoke before their appointment that time but he knew that the guy somehow liked to keep the best for the end.

The intendant's blue eyes went straight to his black orbs as the man clasped his hands under his chin in a serious stance. "I know you're a close friend of James Sharpener and I would be a fool to believe I could do anything to change that, even if your friendship sounds somewhat, well, let's say "unexpected" to me. So, since you both decided to hang around together, would you mind influencing him? Rather than the other way round, I mean. It would be really kind from you to do that for me, or should I say, to do that for him."

Gohan gritted his teeth. "I'll do my best, sir," he replied in a flat voice.

The intendant grinned at that. "Thank you, Gohan. See you in a month then, and don't forget to come back with the book."

Gohan got up and left the office. His intendant was definitely a moron. The man would just regard him as a freaky genius and a nice, polite kid. True enough that was what Gohan wanted him to believe but damn, the guy claimed he knew better and if he had actually been able to see beyond the surface, he would never have asked Gohan to influence Sharp whatsoever. Actually Gohan was mad at the realization that in the adults' eyes his friendship with Sharp had become the best excuse for everything he did wrong. Should he lie, should he smoke, it could only be under Sharp's influence.

He was feeling deeply irritated when he exited the intendants' building by flinging the door open. His anger froze at once as he found Videl standing on the outside porch. She was waiting for him, her back leaning against the railing. The sight of the autumnal sun piercing the clouds and flooding her figure dispelled his annoyance instantly.

Her blue eyes were sparkling and she looked somewhat uncomfortable with her fists nervously clinging to the fence behind her. It was the first time they were alone since the ball, since that moment when she had followed him to prevent him from harming Joon and his friends.

She was breathtaking standing in the sunlight and something flared in his guts. It was enough to forget at once everything of his interview with the intendant.

"So, what did the intendant say?" she asked shyly.

He smiled at her. "Everything's all right."

She nodded absently. Her eyes told him that she didn't care for the intendant's opinion and neither did he actually. He walked closer to her and she eventually let go of the railing to stand straight.

"Sharp got his support class," he whispered.

"Erasa got her music rehearsal," she replied all by looking down in embarrassment.

They kept still for a while, each one avoiding the other's gaze. Some students were going in and out the building, oblivious of them. Gohan's fingertips touched hers in a swift gesture that couldn't be noticed by people around. A powerful emotion was overwhelming him and making his breathing almost painful. He was dying to kiss her. "Do you want us to meet up at Barney's on Friday?" he offered in a low voice.

She slowly entwined her fingers with his, all by watching out for possible prying eyes. "I can't. I'm grounded. Because of the accident. My father was mad so I'm stuck at home for now," she replied.

"Grounded?" Gohan repeated in disbelief. He tensed at the word. How could Satan believe that he could afford to claim Videl was "grounded"? Had he been punished for all his lies and his cowardice? Gohan took a deep breath as to calm down. He had to remember that Satan was Videl's father in the first place and that meant that the man counted in her life, no matter who he was. Moreover, Satan's opinion and decisions impacted her existence much more than Gohan's point of view. As irking as it stood, Gohan had to bear with it.

"A driver picks me up at the end of my classes and I'm not allowed be late," Videl added with a sorry voice. "I was supposed to go to baseball training this afternoon but the coach is sick so I took the opportunity to come see you before going home."

He took her hand and squeezed it gently. "How long will it last before you're free again?" Gohan asked

"As long as my craft isn't fixed. Two weeks or so,"

Gohan sighed in disappointment. He couldn't take his eyes off of her lips and he was struggling to repress his urge to take her in his arms.

"Come," he offered all of a sudden as he went down the steps of the porch, pulling her by the sleeve.

She followed him wordlessly to the bench behind the gym. As usual the place was deserted. He gave her no time to sit down as he grabbed her face with both hands and pressed his lips on hers. He gave no thought to his move. He knew she wouldn't back away, he'd read it in her eyes at the very moment he'd stepped out the intendant's building.

He'd been craving for that kiss for three days and during all that time, there had been something in his way. The frustration had his desire flaring up even more and he couldn't help but deepen his kiss, his tongue searching feverishly for hers as he was still holding her head. She was caught off guard by his eagerness and she was forced to step back as to keep her balance. She returned the kiss and the embrace though. It felt like sheer bliss to him. Not only the kiss and the feeling that he was about to mix his soul with hers, but also her touch, the warmth of her body pressed against his. He wished that moment to last forever, but Videl eventually broke the kiss while trying to loosen his embrace. "Someone may see us," she whispered.

In reply, he just went back to kiss her again. He could no longer worry for anything else than her warm, wet mouth. He didn't want to either. The world looked so pointless compared to the jubilation of that feeling. She let him have his way more than willingly for a while but she ended up pushing him away once again. "Gohan, someone might show up. If we're caught, there's no doubt my father will hear about it and I'll be stuck at home for my whole life," she chuckled softly.

He released her with some reluctance but he still couldn't unlock his eyes from her. She grabbed his fingertips and looked back at him with a small smile. The light shining through her face was so bright that he had a hard time preventing himself from kissing her again. "My driver is about to be there," she stated with a sigh.

"Fifteen days, huh?" Gohan sighed in turn.

"Maybe a little less than that, counting the days we've already been through," Videl corrected with a pout of amusement. "Come, walk me to the exit but behave yourself, huh?"

As they were about to reach the parking lot, Videl turned to him with a stern face. "Erasa told me about Sharp's bloody lies but you remember what you promised me, don't you?" she asked.

"Did I promise anything?" he replied by raising an eyebrow.

"About Joon. Don't play a fool, Gohan. No violence," she mumbled in annoyance.

He smiled at her. "Did I really promise that? That bastard doesn't deserve it," he sighed.

"Seriously, Gohan, Sharp will get in more trouble. Promise me that you will watch over him," Videl insisted in concern.

At that moment, Gohan would have promised anything to her. As long as she'd stay by his side, as long as that spark would kindle again in her eyes each time they met his, he would give anything to her. "Don't worry. I promised, Videl."

Her features softened at his words. She beamed at him. A big car was waiting with its engine running a few feet from them. She stepped to it and greeted Gohan with a wave of her hand before climbing into the car. When the door was closed, the stained-glass window shielded her from his sight. He kept watching her faint figure until the vehicle drove away and he stood numb on the parking lot even after she was gone, her scent still overwhelming in the air. Fifteen days, it sounded like an eternity.

"Gohan, how nice to meet you!" a high-pitched voice exclaimed

As he turned around he found himself face to face with Sharp's mother walking to him on her high heels. She was wearing a classy trench and her blond hair was drawn into a neat bundle. Like the first time he'd met her, he noted that her confident stride and the clacking of her shoes on the pavement made her bearing somewhat authoritarian. A large grin was adorning her face.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Misk," Gohan greeted her respectfully.

"My, no need to be so formal. Just call me Maya, it's much more friendly," she chuckled. With that, she hooked her arm around his. It was a familiar gesture and he disliked it at once but he remained unaffected and kept listening to her. "I needed to talk to you about something, but all that mess about that awful assault prevented me from doing so."

Gohan cringed at her slick voice. He had no desire to know what such a woman could have in mind and he tried to change the subject. "Really? Did you come to pick up Sh… James?"

She burst out laughing. "Seriously, Gohan. I stopped picking James up from school a long time ago. Actually, I have an appointment with the headmaster but I guess he might wait five minutes," she explained.

As far as Gohan knew, the guy could as well wait for her two hours without uttering a single complaint. She eyed him with a stern face, her smile gone. "We shall talk about my offer to tutor James, remember?"

Gohan felt uncomfortable that she would insist about that but he assumed that she wouldn't be the type to hear a no for what it was. Just a no. He shifted and released his arm from hers. "What about him? What does he think about it?" he asked.

She had a cold grin. "James? He's never keen on work and as a personal philosophy, he always dislikes anything coming from me, so we'll do it without asking for his opinion. When can you come?"

For some reasons, Gohan felt cornered. "I- I don't have much time, you know and I usually go back to my Mum on the weekends. She lives far away,” he stammered.

"I'll pay you well. I heard you had a scholarship, your mother might understand. I can call her if you want," the woman cut off.

Gohan stiffened at the mention of his scholarship and the idea that this witch could call Chichi to let her know she hadn't the same means at disposal for her kids' education twisted his guts. "It won't be necessary. I can help him to work when we have big tests but I can't tutor him all the time and – I can't guarantee the result," he grunted while repressing a scowl.

She had a disappointed pout. Gohan realized that she hadn't expected to meet any resistance coming from him. She sighed and ended up smiling at him nevertheless. "Let's start like this. Can you come on Friday?"

"Friday will do. I'll fix things with Sh .. James," he agreed.

She patted his arm in satisfaction and greeted him before entering the park of the school. Gohan felt deeply annoyed that he'd caved in and once again, he felt a deep hatred for that woman. He checked his watch and found out that he was now late for his meeting with M.

He flew over the city as fast as possible without going noticed by the scarce crafts crowding the sky. His little "talk" with Videl had left his body and nerves burning. He was on edge and he had to regain his composure, he knew. His interview with M was important, especially considering he might need money for the final exam. He also had some things to settle with the guy and he had to play it smart.

If truth to be told Gohan felt torn. On one hand, he felt like breaking his deal with M. He wanted a normal life, a life where he would be able to enjoy his time with Videl and he wouldn't need to lie to her. Yet, on the other hand, fate was making his double life as necessary as ever and somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew he was just a fool to believe he could loosen M's grip on his life so easily. He'd killed people. It didn't matter that they were scum, there was nothing Gohan could do to erase his acts. Even if he stopped the crap, he'd become a killer and he couldn't deny a part of him didn't mind that fact. His conscience would bother him once in a while but still, he'd never be a nice student with a normal life.

The appointment had been fixed in a cigar bar, a place that was perfectly mirroring M's personality. The man was the calm type no matter what happened, always wearing elegant suits and holding reasonable speeches. Actually, he was a master in the art of hiding his true self and it had always been impossible for Gohan to guess his real thoughts or feelings.

As a kid Gohan had been fascinated by him and he'd vowed a total trust in him. He'd bought his advice and tales with no second thought. He'd really believed he was a hero by keeping the world safe from the bastards milling around. Still, it hadn't made the job less rough. No matter the aim, killing someone wasn't an easy, harmless matter. Gohan had cried after each mission the first times and the nights following each killing had been plagued with horrible nightmares, but even so, M had been able to soothe his doubts and his fears. He'd always been able to convince Gohan to keep going on and do it again and again. The teenager could still remember their endless talks as M reminded him why he'd made the right choice by deciding to work for him.

Gohan had obviously asked questions about who M really was, and how he knew everything he knew, but M had never given any true answer. The main thing was that what they were doing was for everyone's sake, right? As for the rest, M claimed that anyone should be allowed his own secrets and secrecy was something Gohan had been taught to respect. He'd been taught no to tell about his adventures on Namek, not to tell anyone how his father was dead and back, no to disclose who had really killed Cell… All these details of his life had to be kept hidden so he'd grown accustomed to secrets as part of anyone's life. Ultimately he'd stopped bothering about M's real identity and true motives.

The bar was a cozy place. The thick carpet hushed any noise - especially the talks going on – while the entire furniture was made of varnished burr walnut. At this hour customers were scarce, most of them looking like businessmen settling their deals in low voice. Jazz was playing as background music, making the atmosphere somewhat old-fashioned.

Gohan recognized M at once. He was sitting at a table in the back of the room with a glass of brandy resting in front of him. He was wearing a dark suit with thin stripes and smoking a big fat cigar. His look was actually quite ordinary and anyone meeting that bulky short man with grey hair would hold him for harmless. Gohan assumed that it was his best trick to lure people. Gohan walked straight to him and sat down opposite of him.

The waiter showed up straight away. Although Gohan's outfit mismatched the style of the bar and made him look even younger than he was, he didn't pay any mind when the teenager ordered a whiskey on the rock, like an experienced businessman.

M had a half smile at his choice but he didn't comment on it. There were no greetings either. The man kept smoking his cigar while his eyes were glued to his young guest. Gohan felt nervous and he took out a cigarette and lit it in wait for M to start the talk. He'd been the one summoning him after all.

"It's been a long time, Gohan," the man finally said after the waiter had brought the whiskey.

"Yeah, maybe too long," Gohan mumbled before sipping his drink.

"I remember you as a kid. Things hadn't been always easy in the beginning but you're almost a man by now," M resumed.

Gohan put his glass down and stared at it for a minute. He had no desire to dwell on good old time. M wasn't baffled by his annoyed silence though and he carried on.

"You're so brilliant. I never said it to you before but I have to admit that you amaze me. You're a quick learner and you never shrink from anything, no matter what it takes. Once you've decided something, you always get to the bottom of things and you never complain," he said with a curl of thick smoke escaping his lips.

"A good little soldier," Gohan summed up bitterly, eyes down. He had the unpleasant feeling to replay his interview with the intendant.

"A good soldier," M corrected, "You didn't stay little very long. You surpass anyone in your job."

"Is that the reason why a third of my pay is missing?" Gohan cut off as his patience was getting thin with all the praise.

M rested slowly his chin in his palm and looked him straight in the eyes. "What happened on Saturday night, Gohan?"

Gohan glared at him. "I did the job," he hissed.

"That's right, but someone saw you," M retorted, his voice as calm as ever.

Gohan was seething. "No one saw me. My face was covered. All they saw was a man with black hair," he spat.

"I admit that it is not much but it is not exactly nothing either," M pointed out.

Gohan took another sip of his drink while trying to ignore the awful taste burning his throat. He needed to keep a cool head. "The job has been done. You can't cut off my pay. I want the rest. I need it now."

M took another drag of his cigar, ignoring the young man's hard glare. "I know you need it. And I need you as well. I just want you to picture, just for a tiny second, what would happen if someone finds out who you are."

Gohan frowned by looking down in silence. M leaned to him over the table and lowered his voice to a whisper. "Imagine your high school friends. Your mother. And what about your little brother?"

"Leave my friends and family alone. They're my problem, not yours," Gohan spat in rage.

"Listen to me, boy," M snapped at him. "They're my problem as well because I wouldn't like anything to happen to you and if you want your little quiet life to keep going on, the kind of mistakes you made on Saturday mustn't happen anymore."

Gohan knew that all too well. He was mad to hear it coming from M's mouth. He drank the rest of his whiskey in one gulp and looked up at him. "You really think I don't know that? Do you think I triggered that mess on purpose? What the hell did you have in mind when you sent me to a police station swarming with cops? Who was the guy in the first place?"

M sank back into his armchair with a sigh. "We do as we can. I admit that the police station was a risky place but I promise the target wasn't a cop. He was even far from guarding Order and Justice. I just wanted to make sure that you'll be careful from now on."

With that, he took a folded newspaper resting on the chair next to him and slid it over the table to Gohan. "The money is inside. You can read the article as well. It will answer your questions." M grabbed his coat and got up.

"Take good care of yourself, boy. I might need you pretty soon." he concluded while leaving money on the table for the drinks.

"I want a raise," Gohan announced coldly upon seizing the newspaper.

M was standing opposite from him. He looked down at him and cocked an eyebrow. He puffed on his cigar and took his time to breathe the smoke out, as if mulling over the claim. Gohan stared at him unaffected, in wait for his reply.

"It had to happen, I guess. You're not in trouble at least, are you?" M eventually said.

"I take serious risks and, as you said, I am the best. It comes with a price," Gohan merely grunted.

M had a chuckle. "I see, you're becoming something of a businessman, huh? I thought you were only doing all this for the sake of the world."

This remark made Gohan feel uncomfortable, but he kept silent, his glare still locked on the older man.

M had a small smile. "All right, it's fair for you to have a little fun after all. I'll give you a half more. Then, here's one last thing: hold your tongue with that little Videl Satan. Women have their own weapons. I'm not sure you can compete with that."

Gohan jumped at Videl's name. "Stay away from her. If you dare approach her…" he growled in a threatening tone.

M raised his hand in appeasement. "Gohan, I'm only interested in evil people, you know it. If anyone is to harm her, it won't be me. Have a nice day."

Gohan didn't answer but he kept glaring at M with gritted teeth as the man made casually his way out of the bar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * Gohan has read Moby Dick from Herman Melville


	17. Chapter 17

After he'd taken the bundle of bills and recounted the money with care, Gohan had left M's newspaper on his bedside table and he'd shrugged it off his mind. It took some days before his eyes fell back on it as he was just done with his work and allowing himself some rest on his bed at the Capsule.

His mood had turned bleak after his meeting with M. If anything, their talk had proved Gohan that he was nothing near quitting their nasty business. The young Saiyan could no longer fool himself as to believe it was only about the money. There was something more that kept him going on and that was why he was "the best", as M liked to call it.

That bastard had been pleased to list everything Gohan had to lose if he ever was to be identified. First of all, his mother. Chichi would never get over the revelation of what her son had become. She had always overreacted about the slightest bug in his life. Anything concerning her children was of utmost importance to her. It had always been this way since he was born and the only thing that could make her happy was to know that they were doing fine, walking the right direction. The holy right direction. Work, honesty and whatnot, he knew.

When he'd been sentenced to detention with Sharp the month before, she'd turned mad. Even though he hadn't told her the exact reason behind the punishment and even though he'd explained that he'd just been caught for forgetting an assignment, her fury had felt like an earthquake. Her reaction wouldn't have been worse if it had been about the end of the world. Her sons were both her strength and her weakness. If she was to hear about his real job, Gohan could hardly picture how she would take it. He'd drifted so far away from the path she wanted him to take. It might just be the death of her, simple as that.

Then, what about Bulma's reaction? Or worse, Videl's. He would lose her at once, that was for sure and that would just be the death of him.

In short, it shouldn't and it mustn't happen because his life would crumble the minute his secret would be revealed. Even so, Gohan was aware that it could happen at any moment no matter how cautious he would be.

It had almost happened already a few years before, when that girl had stumbled across him as he'd just murdered her pimp. She'd been taken aback by the sight and Gohan still remembered her face as exactly as he remembered the cop he'd met on his previous mission. Despite the make-up spread on her skin, Gohan could say that she hadn't been more than fifteen. He could still picture her big, sad hazel eyes and shiny lips with her long hair framing her childish face. She had stared at him for an instant and her expression had changed with the realization of what he'd just done. She had given him a half-smile while some fire had kindled in her dull orbs and she had raised an approving thumb. Her gesture had snatched him out of his numbness and he'd run away in the blink of an eye. The girl had never said anything to anyone but she could have done it. It could happen on every mission.

And yet, he'd decided to keep going on. M had no doubt he would. M had been around for years now and as frustrating as it sounded, he held him on a leash. It wasn't only because of the money. Even if money had become a pressing need these times, a part of Gohan urged him to continue. It was a dark side of him, some obscure instinct he could no longer deny.

Gohan sat cross-legged on the bed and pulled the newspaper onto his pillow. Unfolding it, he was quick to spot an article entitled "Alleged gang leader murdered in police station". His target's picture was printed next to the text. Gohan went through the article.

The journalist explained how the murder took place all by using a lot of conditional tense, which was a sign that he hadn't been able to check a lot of details. After that, he summed up all the things the victim had been suspected of - Racket and drug traffic along with some exploitation of illegal workers. The guy seemed to be some nasty bastard once again but nothing had been proven so far and Gohan couldn't help but think that he should maybe have let the police get to the bottom of it after all.

As a conclusion, the article questioned the policy of the current mayor who was definitely having a hard time cleaning his own city of criminals, pointing out that its police department was incompetent enough to have criminals kill each other inside their own stations. Gohan felt bad for the cops as they were tagged as complete morons and he especially pitied the one he'd knocked out so ruthlessly. Yet, the teenager was ultimately relieved to find out that there was no accurate hint about the murderer. The only thing the journalist said was that he'd run away and he'd likely acted alone.

The noise of the door cracking open pulled him out of his reading. He raised his head and found Vegeta paying him a visit. As usual, the Saiyan wouldn't care to knock at the door – his personal way to remind that this home was his which meant he owed nothing to anyone.

"Hi Vegeta," Gohan greeted although he knew he wouldn't get any answer.

The Saiyan walked to him and looked down at the newspaper wide open in front of him.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" Gohan asked.

"Come train. It's been a long time and I think you need it."

Gohan tilted his head. He liked the idea. He noticed that Vegeta was staring at the newspaper spread on the pillow. He closed it hastily causing his guest to look up at him. "Shall we go?" Gohan suggested with a fake grin. Vegeta nodded and exited the room.

As a matter of fact, Vegeta wasn't in the mood for basic training. What he wanted was a true fight. It felt like the Saiyan had a raging will to hurt his partner. After taking some rough blows head first, Gohan found out that he should be more focused but still, it wasn't enough to compete with the Saiyan's speed and might and the younger fighter gestured for a break, doubling over after a harsh kick in the guts. Vegeta broke his fighting stance and joined him. "What the hell are you up to tonight? We talked about training, didn't we?" Gohan panted.

Vegeta crouched down to his level. "This is training," he stated coldly.

"Huh. Weird how it feels like you're trying to beat me to a pulp," Gohan hissed.

"That's because you let your guard down. You don't pay enough attention to what's going on and you believe I'm going to take it easy on you. You're relying on your luck too much."

Gohan looked up at him in disbelief. His words sounded awkwardly like M's.

"I'm not your father. Your father is no longer here to take care of you like when you were a kid," Vegeta added. With that, he stood up and powered up until his hair turned white. "Are you ready to keep going on?"

Gohan frowned. Only Vegeta would tell him something so blunt about his father. So blunt and yet so true. The teenager nodded and got up in turn, powering up to his opponent's level.

They fought a long time with an increasing ferocity and at some point, Gohan stopped thinking. In such moment, fight was bliss. In such moment, he was no longer his true self. He was the fight. He was the shock, the pain, the jubilation when he hit his opponent or when he dodged the blows. He was all that. Or maybe in such moment, he was just his true self more than ever. Regardless, the trance was enjoyable and he always felt whole at the end of the battle. Exhaustion forced him to ask for mercy though. Although he was up to Vegeta's level, the older man was far more enduring than him.

The Saiyan eased off when Gohan claimed the end of the fight. He smirked in satisfaction at the younger man. Gohan mirrored a smile and grabbed a bottle of water. As he was drinking greedily Vegeta walked past him and headed for the exit of the room. "Bulma filled the fridge if you're hungry," he mumbled without a glance at him.

The young man nodded, noting with some awe that the Saiyan was barely panting. Gohan had defeated Cell but that was a long time ago. He could see the difference between Vegeta and him now. Vegeta was an experienced fighter. He trained every day and he wouldn't be the type to rely on his luck, that was for sure.

Gohan was sore and he needed to take a sensu to make it through the last day of his school week. He was relieved at the prospect to have two days off for the weekend but he still had agreed to go to Sharp's as to "tutor" him, if Sharp ever happened to be "tutorable".

Sharp's house was a huge villa standing on the outskirts of the city and Gohan was stunned to find out that Videl's place looked actually quite humble in comparison.

He pressed the intercom button and the gigantic gates opened automatically. Gohan entered the property and walked up the alleyway to the door through a breathtaking garden. Sharp was waiting for him on the porch, wearing an amused smile. "Hi, teacher," he greeted sarcastically.

When Gohan had told him about his mother's demand, Sharp had made his point clear. He had no intention to please his mother whatsoever. Like she had herself pointed out, it was his personal philosophy. Still, Gohan had also figured out that while playing rebel, Sharp was actually lacking self-confidence so much that he wouldn't even attempt to improve his grades. Being convinced that he would fail no matter how hard he would try, he found it much less humiliating to have his lame grades justified by his reluctance to fit in rather than by his inability to learn anything properly. It was somehow clever and it sounded actually much more glorious.

"Are your parents home?" Gohan asked while entering the house. If truth to be told, he had no desire to meet Maya again.

"My what?" Sharp joked as he closed the door, "Make yourself home. We're on our own with only the butler and my sister and her nurse."

Gohan was caught off guard at the statement. Sharp had never mentioned any sibling. "So, you have a sister?"

"Sort of. She's two years old and she's my half-sister but you're not here for a family reunion, right?"

"Will Mr. Son have something to drink?" a tight-up voice asked behind Gohan's back.

Gohan turned around and found a middle-aged man wearing a stern suit and standing a few feet from him. He hadn't heard him come but he figured out he was the butler. Gohan hated that odd habit of rich people to have people do things for them all the time.

"Well, a vodka would do if you have some, Jasp," Sharp suggested mischievously.

The butler rolled his eyes as he was apparently accustomed to his jokes. "Would a soda suit you?" he offered Gohan.

"Fine," Gohan murmured, feeling somewhat embarrassed by the formal way the guy was addressing him.

"It still tastes better with some vodka in it," Sharp pointed out as Jasp left.

Gohan followed his friend through the house and up to his room. Sharp's room was actually closer to an apartment inside the house.

The main room was furnished with a huge bed surrounded by high-tech equipment such as an impressive big screen TV, sophisticated amps and several game consoles. A door opened on a vast dressing room while a second one lead to the bathroom. The last door allowed access to Sharp's "office". It was a room as big as Chichi's living room with bay windows overlooking a small garden. Sharp had two desks at disposal. One was swarming with computer equipment and the other was covered with stacks of notebooks and papers. Books, magazines and records were piled up in a huge casebook while a sofa and matching armchairs were arranged in the middle of the room. The place was quite messy but its size made it still comfortable.

Sharp slumped on an armchair. "You didn't seriously plan to work, did you?" he growled.

Gohan took place on the chair of one of the desk and dropped his bag with a sigh. "I didn't really want to come actually. It's, you know, your mother. She sort of… insisted so much."

Sharp sneered. "Yeah, I know exactly how she is. You caught her eyes to say the least."

"Don't worry Sharp. I'm not interested in that tutoring thing. I mean, if you want me to give you a hand, you can count on me but if you don't - I don't want your mother's money either way." Gohan replied in unease.

Sharp burst out laughing at Gohan's statement. He opened a drawer and took out a tobacco pouch. At that moment, Jasp came in with a glass of soda on a little silver tray. He rested his load down next to Gohan and he added an envelope with Gohan's name written on it. With that, he headed to the door wordlessly but he paused on his way as he spotted a dirty plate in the middle of the mess. He took it away and exited the room silently. He hadn't even bothered about Sharp rolling a cigarette. Gohan assumed the man might have some tacit agreement with his friend as none of them would mind the other's business.

"You're cool, Gohan, and I like that you won't let my mother fool you but take the money anyway and don't worry about it, she won't miss it," Sharp resumed.

"I'm not going to do that. It would be like ripping her off," Gohan grumbled with a frown.

Sharp smirked and reached out for a small fridge Gohan hadn't noticed standing next to the bookcase. Sharp took two beers out of it and threw one to his guest. "Scamming a scammer doesn't count as a scam," he stated.

Gohan caught the can in flight and looked down at the envelope the butler had left. It was Maya's money and Gohan was hesitant to take it like Sharp had suggested. Was scamming a scammer much different from killing a killer, after all? As he was pondering about the question, the beer splattered out of the can as the drink had been shaken up by Sharp's move. Gohan cursed under his breath all by trying to wipe his pants the best he could.

Sharp had an amused smile at the sight. He took a sip from his own can and resumed. "So? What's up with Videl?"

Gohan froze his gesture and stared at his friend in puzzlement. He hadn't confessed his relationship with Videl to anyone so far. Sharp had been in no condition to grasp anything at the ball and since then, Gohan and Videl had hardly any opportunity to be alone so there was no chance anyone had seen them. Thus, Gohan couldn't believe Sharp was referring to Videl as his girlfriend. "What about Videl?" he asked with caution.

As a matter of fact, Gohan had no reason to keep secrets from Sharp. His friend could be a loud mouth, but he would never betray Gohan and Videl, knowing that it would endanger their relationship if things leaked out to Satan's ears. Sharp wasn't stupid and most of all he had some sense of friendship. Yet, Gohan still didn't like the idea of letting Sharp know about his feelings for Videl.

"Oh, come on. I might not be the smartest, but I’m not clueless. You are both so obvious. Especially Videl. She tends to – you know, sort of hop whenever you show up. I've known her for a long time, she can't fool me, believe me," Sharp replied with a knowing smirk.

Gohan lowered his head in embarrassment. The thought of Videl "hopping" when he was around had his cheeks turn pink.

Sharp's smile widened and he lit up his cigarette. "Just like I suspected you're both completely clueless. Thinking that Erasa feared you might go too fast with Videl," he added while exhaling the smoke.

Gohan got startled. "Erasa? Do you mean you talked about Videl and me with Erasa?"

Sharp raised an eyebrow. "Course, why not? To be honest, she was the one to tackle the topic. She was sure Videl and you would end up together since the first day of school. I didn't believe her at first – you know how much of a cheesy romantic she can be and all. I mean, she likes to picture pairing everywhere, especially where there's no hope of pairing whatsoever."

Gohan swallowed hard. He'd never figured out that things worked that way. Romantic feelings had always been something very intimate and personal in his mind. At best, they would become official once married or even when kids were born. Out of these cases, romantic feelings were hushed. Well, Gohan had to admit that it was the way his family worked. Nothing would ever be worded or explained about these feelings. His father wouldn't know how and his mother wouldn't want to.

"You know what I'm asking you, right?" Sharp asked at once. "Because Videl, huh. Well, be careful with Videl."

Gohan turned a great crimson that time. Sure enough, his friend was no longer speaking of feelings. Sharp liked to talk about sex. Often. Too often. Gohan didn't pay any mind to his habit. Once in a while he would listen with some curiosity but most of the times Sharp was just boasting and gloating about himself. It was part of his theatrical self. Just like a brilliant student would love to talk about his grades or an athlete about his medals, Sharp liked to tell about his sexual experiences - should they be real or imaginary. That was Sharp's life though and Gohan didn't mind. Yet, right now, he was talking about Videl and him and that was something different.

Sharp leaned forward in an attempt to meet Gohan's eyes. "I always thought that people in the countryside had more practice," he sneered.

"Do we really have to talk about that?" Gohan snapped all of a sudden as he was getting upset.

Sharp stopped his cocky behavior and stared at Gohan for a while. "If we don't, who else will? How long has it been since your old man died? Or would you rather chat with your little brother?"

Gohan raised his eyebrows at this reply. Were fathers really supposed to talk about that with their sons? Even though Goku would still be alive, Gohan couldn't picture such discussions with him. He shifted in the chair and looked up at last at Sharp. "What is it you want to talk about exactly?"

Sharp sank into his chair and took a sip of beer. He was no longer smiling. He looked rather focused as if searching the best words. "Well, I have no doubt you know how things work but there are one or two things I think I should tell you. First thing is, man, it's Videl. Videl has never been with anyone before so I'd like you to be careful, understand?"

"Careful," Gohan repeated blankly although he didn't grasp the exact meaning of Sharp's advice.

"That's it. Try to remember it at the right moment, if the right moment ever comes one day. You'll see, it's easier said than done but if you're not careful, you might hurt her."

Gohan cringed at that. He'd never imagined such possibility. He'd dreamed of Videl more often than not and his dreams had always been passionate. The idea that he could hurt her had never crossed his mind. He gazed at Sharp's face expecting to see his familiar playful smirk, but there was no longer any mockery in his friend's eyes. Gohan realized that Sharp was truly meaning what he said. He wasn't trying to make Gohan uncomfortable. His usual teasing crudity was gone and he looked concerned, deeply convinced that Gohan needed to hear what he was explaining. Gohan had never seen him so serious and he decided to keep quiet and listen to him.

"Second thing. If Videl gets pregnant you're dead. The Champion will rip off your cock and your life may be fucked if she decides to keep the kid. Normally, girls are briefed on that subject but you never know, so best is always take your precautions. Even if you're in a hurry." Sharp stated.

Gohan narrowed his eyes and stared at his friend with some disbelief. "Okay, okay. I know that already," he growled in annoyance.

"You think you know," Sharp cut off harshly, "but just wait to see if you're able to remember your biology class when in action. Since you're supposed to be a sensible nerd, just try to keep the situation under control because it would really piss me off for both of you."

Sharp took a few sips from his can, paying no mind to Gohan's scowl. The blonde guy sounded somewhat upset as he carried on. "It pisses you off that I feel the need to tell you that and it pisses me off too to have to tell it, believe me. Yet, you have no father and Videl has no mother, so I thought it would be useful. I assume Erasa will do the same with Videl."

"Erasa? Does Erasa know anything about sex?" Gohan exclaimed.

"Of course, she does. What do you think? Because she looks like a naïve doll waiting for Prince Charming you think she's a nun? Is that it?"

"Well, yeah. Sort of. What do you know of her life anyway?" Gohan shrugged.

Sharp scowled at this question. Gohan knew he'd tackled a topic his friend disliked - Erasa and their strange relationship. Both of them were so close all by feigning indifference. Gohan thought Sharp wouldn't answer. He always did that. As soon as Erasa showed up in a talk, it was the end of it.

"I know because I was the first to have her, some time ago," Sharp grumbled.

Gohan almost dropped his can in astonishment. If anything, this was the last reply he'd expected. His mouth gaped unwillingly. He'd never pictured that Erasa and Sharp had been lovers before. Sharp had never given the slightest hint about it and neither had Erasa. Gohan realized how wrong he had been when he'd sensed something blossoming between them. It was nothing near sparkles yet rather something close to burning embers and whatever had been going on between them, it was now over. It bothered him somehow and he couldn't prevent himself from asking. "You mean there's nothing left between you and her? Why? How did it end?"

Sharp lowered his head and stared blankly at his can. He took a last drag his cigarette, like a necessary support and looked up back at Gohan. "It ended with Erasa crying in a clinic and parents yelling. Know what I mean? See, I don't really have a father either and Erasa's mother is… Well, let's just say that biology classes won't always do," he mumbled.

For the first time since they met Sharp's heedless attitude was gone. Seeing him like that, Gohan felt even sadder for Erasa and him but he didn't know how to word it.

Sharp finished his can in one go and broke the awkward silence with a smirk. "Just take my mother's money and let's go have some fun," he claimed, back to his usual self.

"What do you have in mind?" Gohan asked in suspicion.

Sharp stood up and grabbed his jacket all by throwing his empty can into the wastebasket. "Trust me. Just come, we're going out. Take the dough too."

Gohan felt hesitant though. "But - Your mother will find out and she'll be furious," he objected.

Sharp sneered at that. "Are you kidding? My mother will see nothing. She'll be back home in the night and, for sure, she won't come check what I'm up to. Don't worry."

Gohan took the envelope with reluctance. "What about the butler?" he still argued.

"Jasp? The last thing he wants is to bear with my mother's fits. Besides, he doesn't give a damn. Believe me, he won't speak. Move, now," Sharp shrugged.

Gohan obliged and followed Sharp through the house and up to the familial garage. It was actually more like a giant hangar with a series of cars of all kinds lining up. Most of them looked unused. Sharp weaved in and out of them and guided his friend to a row of impressive bikes. He turned to Gohan with a wolfish smirk. "I'll take that one, which one do you want?" he said while pointing at one of the machines.

Gohan was hardly able to remember that he didn't have any driving license as the shiny steel was kindling sparkles in his eyes. He studied the bikes one by one with some blissful delight until he pointed at the one he could pinpoint as the most powerful of all.


	18. Chapter 18

Gohan woke up at the distant sound of water running. Forcing his eyelids open felt like an incredible effort. He was welcomed by a dazzling light pouring into the room through a large bay window. The brightness unleashed instant pain into his brain and he blinked to get used to daylight. He didn't recognize the place and it kindled a slight concern in his mind. He brought himself to sit up but a throbbing pain flared up in his skull at the change of position. He shut his eyes again and massaged his temples in an attempt to soothe the aching. When he felt somewhat better he opened his eyes again and eventually remembered he was in Sharp's room. He was still wearing his clothes and creased notes were scattered around him on the bed. He stared at them absently and tried to piece up his memory. A picture of the finishing line of the muddy race track surged in his mind and he couldn't help a smile. He'd beaten Sharp. He'd beaten them all. His jubilation was instantly chilled when his eyes met the wall clock though. His smile dropped and he jumped out of bed.

As soon as he was upright, a powerful dizziness seized him and he felt the urge to find the toilet. He located the bathroom door and rushed forward to it. Flinging it open, he flashed past Sharp exiting his shower and dived to his knees as to throw up into the toilet bowl.

"Wow ... you're not at your best in the morning," Sharp's voice grumbled. With that, he left Gohan in his personal agony and went back to the bedroom.

Gohan had never been so sick. He had the feeling that his body intended him to atone for every single drop of the many drinks he'd recklessly knocked down the night before. Gohan couldn't remember all of them, but his stomach had kept a careful record, it seemed. When his spasms eventually calmed down he hoisted himself to his feet with the help of the sink bowl. He was hesitant to turn away from the toilet bowl, uncertain about his guts' plans. His head was spinning too.

He faced the mirror and wiped away the steam of Sharp's shower. He watched his reflection with some wariness. He wasn't looking good. As a matter of fact, he was looking awful. He looked tense and tired - his complexion dreadfully pale and the whites of his eyes somewhat yellowish and glassy. He ran a weary hand over his face. Chichi would bite his head off. He'd been supposed to go back to Mount Paozu the night before after his "work" at Barney's. Instead of that, he’d dropped on Sharp’s bed dead drunk after bringing the bikes back at dawn and it was now past noon. Not to mention, no one knew where he was. He would have to make up a serious excuse for that mess while his hazy brain was unable to elaborate any believable tale. Actually, even the prospect of flying back to Mount Paozu sounded like science fiction to him. In short, Gohan was definitely screwed.

He looked down at his clothes. He was filthy. He'd fallen off the bike many times, and due to the rain of the previous days the ground of the track had been a muddy hell. He tugged a fold of his sweater to his nose and grimaced at the stench. He added the fact that he was stinking like hell to the list of his troubles. He reeked of cigarettes, beer and a whole lot of other stuff Chichi wouldn't appreciate.

"Still alive?" Sharp asked as he showed up behind him with fresh clothes on.

"For now, but I won't stay that way if I go back home like this. I need clothes," Gohan replied.

Sharp smirked. "The dressing-room is right next to you. Go help yourself, man. By the way, Jasp was cool enough to leave a breakfast tray outside the door. I'm already working on it. Join me when you're done."

Gohan shrugged as his friend exited the bathroom. He stripped off his dirty clothes and stepped straight into the shower. He needed to regain his wits, provided he could remember where he'd lost them . The hot water was hardly enough to have him connect back to reality. When he was done, he walked to Sharp's dressing room as to pick up new clothes. The place looked like a shop with endless shelves of clothes lining up everywhere. Gohan sorted out an outfit as plain as possible with the faint hope that Chichi wouldn't notice the clothes weren't his. Coming back with someone else's clothes would cause more questions and Gohan had enough on his plate by now.

When he ended up joining Sharp in the bedroom his friend was done with his meal and counting the crumpled notes, sitting on the bed with a cigarette between his lips. "We were great, Gohan. I have to admit we were quite wasted but damn, we had them bite the dust," he claimed with some excitement.

"We were? Actually I can't remember much except for the finish line," Gohan sighed in reply.

"Don't worry, it'll come back. Eat. It will help you," Sharp suggested absently.

Gohan sat on the bed and gave the tray a skeptical gaze. Jasp had fixed them a feast but his stomach was still reluctant at the sight. They were startled by a sudden knock at the door.

"James? Jasper told me Gohan was with you?" Maya's voice asked. "His father is here. I'm coming in," she added at once.

Sharp had just enough time to drop his butt in the cup of coffee served for Gohan before the door was cracked open. Maya stepped into the room and paused. She gave her son an upset glare as a slight cloud of smoke was still floating in the air. She didn't say anything though and she regained her usual composure soon enough. She grinned at Gohan. "Your father is here. You didn't warn your parents about you sleeping over at our place, did you?" she said her voice tinged with faint reproach.

Gohan was numb at her speech. "My… father?" he repeated blankly.

He found out with some horror that Vegeta was standing on the doorstep behind her, his eyes darker than ever. "I never said I was his father," the Saiyan grunted.

"You're not?" Maya asked in astonishment.

"He's my uncle. Vegeta, what are you doing here?" Gohan cut off hastily as he had no will to let Vegeta explain anything.

"What the hell do you think I'm doing here? I bet you know these damn women by now. Never do this to me again. Go back home, now," the Saiyan growled in cold rage. He stared at Gohan with some contempt, then glanced at Sharp and whirled around to leave the room wordlessly.

Maya watched him in puzzlement. "Gohan? What was this about?"

"Don't worry, Maya. I was about to leave either way," Gohan explained as he was already packing his stuff in a hurry. He jumped into his filthy sneakers and rushed out in Vegeta's wake without even taking the time to tie his laces. "See you Monday, Sharp!" he yelled while running to the exit of the house.

The way back home turned to hell. Vegeta hadn't waited for him. He'd headed straight back to the Capsule before Gohan could even catch up with him. The teenager assumed that Bulma might have pissed him off seriously to have him leave his beloved training and pick him up at Sharp's. It could only mean Chichi had one of her dreadful fit and that didn't bode well. Gohan hadn't even given a thought to his mother whereas he'd just bought a new phone he could have used. As a matter of fact, Gohan hadn't bought it to use it, it was just supposed to have him look like a normal teenager in the first place.

As expected the flight to Mount Paozu was painful. Gohan was craving to go back to bed. He felt drained and struggled to keep his energy level high enough.

He needed a break mid-way. Sitting on the ground of a deserted field, he decided that having breakfast might help him to regain some stamina and fortunately he'd been wise enough to pick some fruits and buns on Jasp's tray. Filling his stomach happened to soothe his spasms and nausea but it also triggered a powerful urge to go back to sleep. He considered that a short nap should do after all and he laid down in the grass all by pledging to himself that he wouldn't rest more than ten minutes. Before he knew it, his mind was floating in a cozy nothingness where no clock was allowed but, when he opened his eyes again, the sun above him told him at once that he had broken his promise again. Cursing under his breath, he jumped to his feet and rocketed to the sky as to make his way back home.

As soon as he landed near the house Chichi dashed out of the house. "Where were you?" she yelled at the top of her lungs while running up to him. "I was worried sick about you! I've been waiting for you since five this morning! Where the hell were you?"

He cringed at her shrill, furious voice and lowered his head as if expecting a blow. She strode closer, her face transformed by rage. He could only mumble some senseless sound. She grabbed him by the collar and shook him forcefully. "I don't understand a word! Good God Gohan! Do you have any idea of what I went through? I couldn't reach Barney and I was about to be on my way to the City! What happened to you?" she barked.

"I went to see a friend after work and I fell asleep at his place," Gohan sighed.

She glared at him in suspicion. "And how come you only come back now? With that awful look on top of it?"

Gohan bit his lip. Making up the lame excuse he'd just uttered had left his brain bloodless. He was unable to handle more questioning and he liked it better to keep quiet rather than making things worse.

Chichi crossed her arms and raised her chin. "It's a girl, isn't it?"

Gohan was taken aback by the suggestion. "Wha-what? No! God, Mum I was at Sharp's. You know he's the friend I'm tutoring," he exclaimed with a disbelieving frown.

She kept staring at him skeptically.

"Ask Vegeta, if you don't believe me. He picked me up at his place," Gohan insisted in annoyance. Calling Vegeta as a witness wasn't the best way to convince his mother but Gohan considered that spending the night with a girl shouldn't be worse than what he'd done with Sharp either way. In his mother's mind, it was still the most terrible explanation for his night out though.

She gazed at him with trembling lips and Gohan knew that was the moment when anger would give way to tears. He was proved right when she dropped on her knees and started sobbing. "How can you do this to me? You didn't even call me. You didn't even care for my permission. I wish your father were here."

An unexpected weariness overwhelmed Gohan at the sight. He'd seen it too many times. He couldn't even bring himself to bend as to console her. He just stood numb in front of her. Would things really be different if Goku had been around? Sharp had hinted it would. It didn't matter either way since he was gone with no will of return.

A slight move caught Gohan's eyes and he found out Goten was shyly standing on the doorstep of the house. The kid looked uncomfortable and uncertain as he was watching his crying mother kneeling on the ground. It was enough to have Gohan connect back to reality. He became aware of how heartless he was acting while watching coldly Chichi sob at his feet. Goten shouldn't see his mother cry that way. He shouldn't see his brother so unresponsive to her tears. It was wrong. Gohan had to take care of them, especially Goten. He kneeled in front of his mother and hugged her slowly. "I'm sorry mom. I've been too careless. I should have warned you. We just watched movies during the whole night and I fell asleep. We did nothing wrong, don't worry. I won't do it anymore," he murmured softly.

She was still sobbing but she'd stopped whining. She calmed down little by little as he patted her shoulders with gentle gestures. She eventually rubbed her eyes and looked up at him. "You're not the same anymore. I can feel you're changing since you're living in the City, Gohan. Don't do anything stupid. Remember your father is watching you every moment. I want him to be proud of you," she whispered with a trembling voice.

She pointed at the sky while speaking and Gohan couldn't help but to look up. The thought that his father could watch him felt awkward even though Gohan had no doubt Goku wouldn't give them the slightest glance. The teenager had figured it out years ago. He was even pretty sure that his father had never heard of Goten's birth. Sometimes Gohan was mad at this thought but he was unable to bear a real grudge against his father. He'd given them everything someone like him could give and Gohan still loved him deeply for that.

As soon as she regained her composure, Chichi went back to her usual self. She was still upset talking of imposing some stricter rules on Gohan. She hinted at the possibility of him quitting his job at Barney's and leaving Bulma's house as to come back home every night.

In the fog of his constant headache and need for sleep, Gohan hardly considered her ideas. He kept pretending to listen to her meekly until she ended her lecture by claiming she had big news. They were having dinner then. Gohan frowned and gave her a questioning gaze. Only then, he realized that she was beaming in a way belying all the dire retaliation she was threatening him with.

"I had a call from you school yesterday. They intend to have you take the final exam at the end of the year. They say it's pointless for you to wait one more year in high school," she announced.

Gohan blinked. Pointless. Chichi's black orbs were now shining in pride and Goten couldn't help but grin as well although he didn't grasp the reason of his mother's joy. Gohan gave her a small smile back. He liked her so much when she was in that mood.

"Are you happy? I knew it already but I wanted it to be a surprise for you," he replied. Truth was he hadn't expected the school to call Chichi so quickly and he'd hoped until the end that the teachers might give up to their project.

She stared at him with loving eyes and grabbed his hand gently. "Gohan, you're such nice kid and so brilliant too. You know I'm happy and proud to have you as a son. Too bad you're as oblivious as your father sometimes."

"Yeah, Dad…" Gohan sighed.

She had a slight frown. "Yet, that also mean you'll have to work hard from now on. No more night over at your friend's."

He shook his head. "Nope, Mum. I promise." No more fun, huh. His lies came out so easily it was getting somewhat frightening but he didn't mind. Peace was back in the family and seeing Chichi and Goten sharing a cheerful dinner with him was priceless.

Gohan wondered if the school had told her about the money the exam might cost but Chichi didn't mention anything that kind. He would have to take care of that matter but meanwhile he should be more careful about his mother's concern. Otherwise she might poke her nose in his life and it would end up blowing up his face.

The next week felt endless. Not only was it the last week before vacation but it was also supposed to be the last days of Videl's punishment. It was getting harder and harder for Gohan to spend entire days by her side all by feigning mere friendship. Although Sharp had told him that their attraction hadn't gone unnoticed by Erasa and him, Gohan kept repressing any meaningful gesture. He kept in mind that if anyone came to find out what was going on, the Champion would hear about it and would stomp in Gohan's way. Gohan wasn't sure he would be able to keep a cool head if it occurred.

Yet, pretending was still a torture, not to mention Videl had a very busy weak preventing them from having any moment on their own. It felt like fate had decided to keep them apart.

The day Videl had her baseball training, Gohan decided to linger at school after his classes hoping that the coach would be sick like the previous week. He went to his usual bench behind the gym. He had no doubt Videl would join him there if she had any opportunity to do so.

He'd taken the book the intendant had asked him to read and got absorbed in it soon enough. The book was huge and Gohan had been scared in anticipation as he'd found out it was about old trains in old times. A boring topic if truth to be told. Then, Gohan had realized that no matter how common and uninteresting the characters sounded at first sight, each of them happened to be somehow a potential nasty murderer. The story was getting creepier with each chapter and Gohan couldn't help but feel familiar with the underlying instincts it was about. (*)

He was snatched out of his reading by drops of rain crashing on his head. He looked up and checked his watch. He found out Videl might no longer show up. The coach was certainly back. He packed his stuff away and sought shelter under the edge of the roof of the gym. He stood there for a while, contemplating the drizzle turning into a downpour. He couldn't bring himself to go home though. He had to see her. Alone would be best. The need felt more and more pressing by now.

He dashed under the rain and ran straight to the baseball field. The sky had turned a dark grey promising an impending storm but he wouldn't even bother trying to shield his head from the rain. He was soaked by the time he reached the stadium.

The coach was ruthlessly yelling at some of the players wading through the mud of the playground. The poor students were hardly protected by their raincoat in the colors of the team. The others teammates were meekly waiting for their turns to come while sitting on a bench with a small iron roof as a pathetic shelter. He located Videl there, sitting apart from the other at the end of the bench. Her teammates were chatting behind the coach's back while she was staring blankly at nothing in particular. She was fiddling absently with her glove, oblivious of anything going on around her.

Gohan couldn't trespass the field's limit without being noticed. He posted himself behind the fence, as close to her as possible. She was lost in her thoughts though and she didn't see him. He stood still for a moment, ignoring the water pouring over him. He had his eyes locked on her while she remained unaware of him being there. He didn't do anything to catch her attention and kept watching her.

Then all of a sudden it felt like she'd sensed his gaze on her. She went out of her trance and turned her eyes to him. She'd removed her cap and the lampposts of the playground allowed Gohan to glimpse at the usual sparkles in her orbs when she saw him. She raised her eyebrows in astonishment at the sight of him standing there motionless and unaffected by the rain soaking his clothes and hair. She pressed her index finger on her lips to tell him to keep quiet.

She checked her other teammates on the bench but they were all focused on the playground. She put her cap on and ran to the fence as silently as possible. She gripped the grid between Gohan and her. "Gohan! What are you doing here ? You're soaked," she exclaimed in a low voice.

He smiled at her, oblivious of the water dripping down his forehead and cheeks. He raised his hand and caught the fence in turn wrapping his fingers around hers. "When do we see each other? On Friday, right? Friday is okay, huh?" he asked at once.

She smiled back at him. "Saturday," she claimed. "You know we have a game on Saturday night so, after the game if it's good for you."

Disappointment twisted his guts but he hid it. Saturday was another day to wait.

"Will you come to see me play? Will it be possible for you?" she carried on.

"The hell, I will," he hissed with a smirk. Sure enough, even Cell reviving from ashes wouldn't prevent him from coming see Videl play.

"After the game, it might be somewhat late in the night but I can make it. We can meet. Are you sure it won't be a problem for you?" she asked again with some concern.

"What problem? I'll be there."

She tightened her fingers around his and kept still for a while. The only sound was the drumming of the raindrops on her raincoat. "Gohan, you're soaked. You'll get sick. You should go back home," she eventually stated.

He didn't reply as he was standing numb in fascination with her. She made a shy attempt to release her fingers from his as to let go of the fence but he held her back. She frowned with a disapproving smile. "You don't intend to be sick on Saturday, do you?" she protested softly.

He loosened his grip and allowed her to withdraw her hand and run back to the playground. The coach was already calling her with an upset voice as she was nowhere to be found.

He kept watching her run away and join her team in the distance. Only when she was a small figure in the middle of the huge lawn he let go of the fence and walked back to the building where his locker was to get his things back and go home. 

"What the fuck happened to you, Gohan? You look like you took a shower and forgot to take off your clothes," Sharp mocked loudly as Gohan stepped down the corridor to his locker.

Sharp was just done with his support class and he was packing his things in his locker next to Gohan's.

"It's raining," Gohan claimed absently.

"What a scoop," Sharp grumbled with a roll of his eyes.

Gohan posted himself in front of his locker and pondered for a minute. "I think - I should change my clothes."

Sharp gave him a suspicious stare as he noticed his friend's brain was somehow slower than usual. "Did you smoke something special, Gohan?"

Gohan shook his head. "No, I was just – Would you have a sweater for me?"

Sharp took a towel out of his locker and threw it to his friend. "Worst time to get sick, man. You know what's on on Saturday, don't you?"

Gohan was trying to dry his mane with the towel. He paused at the question and stared at Sharp in disbelief. He wondered whether he'd been so obvious again as to have Sharp guess he'd just fixed a date with Videl.

"You know there is a game on Saturday night. We play these bastards of Star High School," Sharp added.

"Huh. Yeah, I know that," Gohan replied while stripping off his soaked sweater.

Sharp took out a dry sweater and snapped his locker close. The corridor was deserted at this hour and the sound echoed loudly. "So, will you come see that game? Because we won't have a better opportunity to get Joon."

Gohan flinched and frowned.

"I have a plan during the game but if you can't tag along, I can do it on my own," Sharp resumed.

Gohan pondered about the suggestion while slipping in Sharp's sweater. Gohan was supposed to see Videl after the game so during the game might do, he guessed. "Of course, I'll be there. I won't let you down."

"Are you sure? Your uncle looked pissed on Sunday. Don't get into trouble with him, this guy is freaky," Sharp insisted.

"My uncle?" Gohan repeated as he pictured Vegeta's scornful look. The Saiyan would be the last to blame him for going into a fight, no matter how lame it was. As long as it was about honor. Gohan had a weak smile. "Don't worry about him. You can count on me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (*) Gohan is reading "the Beast Within"/"the Beast in Man" by Emile Zola


End file.
